Exploring Epilepsy through Art at the Centre for the Creative Brain

The Centre for the Creative Brain at St Edmund Hall organised their Hilary term event on ‘Exploring Epilepsy Through Art’ on Friday 11 March 2022. It welcomed Ms Sarah Brown LPCC, ATR, Dr Tammy Shella (Art Therapy Program Manager) and Professor Arjune Sen (Consultant Epileptologist) for a fascinating evening looking at the role of art therapy in recovering from neurosurgery for epilepsy. Hosted by Professor Charlotte Stagg, Fellow at St Edmund Hall, this event was attended by 50 people across the Teddy Hall and Oxford University community.

The evening explored Sarah’s story of having neurosurgery to prevent epileptic seizures and how she processed the difficult experiences around that through art therapy. She gave a very poignant and unique insight into the “Burden of Normality” and the psychological aftereffects of “becoming normal” after living with epilepsy for many years.

The audience were taken through a presentation of Sarah’s art which conveyed decorated model heads to reflect the different emotions and frustrations she experienced pre- and post-surgery. Accompanying this was a discussion between Sarah, Tammy and Arjune who all offered a different perspective on the benefits of Art therapy in patient recovery after surgery. One of the key points of the evening was not only to emphasise the power of art therapy in helping a person re-learn who they are and navigate their new normality but to also explain that there is a gap in healthcare provision whereby prehabilitation and rehabilitation services are needed to support those having surgery for epilepsy. If such services had existed, it would have made the transition before and after surgery much easier on Sarah and her family as well as enhancing the benefits of neurosurgery for epilepsy. However, it was clarified by Sarah that epilepsy surgery saved her life and that the panel support the promotion of people gaining access to such life-improving surgery as early as possible.  For example, owing to Sarah’s successful surgery, she was able to obtain her master’s degree and is now a licensed professional clinical counsellor and art therapist in the US.

The final part of the evening was an audience Q&A followed by a drink’s reception and exhibition of Sarah’s artwork.

All Centre for the Creative Brain Events are free and open to all. The Centre for the Creative Brain is generously endorsed by St Edmund Hall and the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford.