Creative Therapies Program

Healing through Expression, Reflection, and Creativity

At St. Christopher’s Inn, we believe that healing is more than physical recovery — it involves the heart, mind, and spirit. Our Creative Therapies Program is a holistic initiative designed to support the emotional and spiritual growth of the men we serve, lovingly known as Brothers Christopher.

Through a variety of artistic and expressive experiences, our residents are encouraged to reflect and take creative risks while learning to embrace and transform imperfection. The process becomes a path to self-discovery, helping each man learn from mistakes, grow through vulnerability, and gain confidence in himself and his journey.

Film Fest: Explores the relationship between faith, culture, and lived experience through the lens of spirituality

Each week, men at the Inn can gather for our weekly Film Fest, a powerful blend of storytelling and reflection.

Past featured films include:
The Shawshank Redemption, The Zookeeper’s Wife, The Way, Entertaining Angels, The Burden, and Pay It Forward

Therapeutic Creative Writing: Also Known as Expressive Writing

Through guided writing exercises and open journaling, men discover the power of their voice. This discipline fosters emotional clarity, encourages storytelling, and offers an avenue for healing. The focus is not on creating a polished piece of literature, but rather on using writing as an outlet for inner exploration and healing. Therapeutic writing can take many forms, including journaling, autobiographical writing, poetry, and free-form expression. The goal is to use the writing process to gain understanding, release stress and feelings that have been suppressed, and to work through inner-conflict, foster self-awareness, and promote overall well-being.

Art Therapy: Creating for Healing

Art therapy at the Inn includes both group and one-on-one sessions. No art experience is needed — only a willingness to engage and explore. Through painting, drawing, collage, and mixed media, participants express what words alone can’t convey. This program focuses on the creative process to help men learn about themselves through artistic expression using various media to promote self-expression in a non-verbal way. Positive outcomes that we’ve seen include greater self-awareness, reduced levels of stress and anxiety, and decreased feelings of shame often associated with addiction.

This truly contributes to our clients’ healing journey and commitment to recovery.

Key components include:

• Self-expression and emotional release
• Building confidence and self-worth
• Processing trauma through visual storytelling

Featured Project: Spiritual Metamorphosis – from chrysalis to butterfly

In this powerful group activity, Brothers Christopher and staff were invited to name an area of personal metamorphosis. Each participant recorded their response on a “cocoon”, representing the darkness we must often endure to achieve growth and change. Following the Passover and Easter celebrations, each cocoon was transformed into a butterfly, signifying the “new life” received when the virtues of self-love, acceptance, surrender, gratitude, and faith are named and embraced.

Our Creative Therapies Program invites every man at St. Christopher’s Inn to discover new ways of seeing himself— not as broken, but as growing, healing, and deeply human.