CREATE at Tufts
March 10 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Join Cultivating Resilience Using Expressive Arts Tools for Empowerment (CREATE), which is being hosted in collaboration with the DEAR Council.
CREATE at Tufts is a new expressive arts initiative designed to support the well-being, resilience, and sense of belonging of Tufts medical and health sciences learners through creative, skills-based practices. Medical training is demanding—academically, emotionally, and personally.
CREATE is intentionally positioned as a toolkit for resilience and empowerment—not a clinical intervention—designed to complement existing wellness resources while fostering belonging, agency, and proactive mental health care across the Tufts community.
The initiative is co-created by Allison Yantz, a research administrator supporting the Departments of Public Health and Community Medicine and Medical Education at Tufts, who is passionate about providing accessible tools and building resilience within higher education communities. Sessions will be is facilitated by Susie Flaherty, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, a licensed professional counselor and board-certified art therapist and mental health counselor with specialized training in expressive arts, art therapy, and music therapy modalities.
Participation Details
- No art experience required. All TUSM students are welcome!
- In-person sessions include catered refreshments and provided materials.
- Virtual participants are welcome and will receive a simple materials list in the confirmation email (paper, markers, collage materials, glue sticks, pens, and a small notebook).
Session 1: Getting to Know You / Going Through the Doorway”
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 6-7pm
Where: Medical Education 216B; Hybrid format (in-person + virtual option)
This session uses guided creative exercises to explore identity, transition, and personal growth across the academic journey.
Activities include:
- Warm-up reflective exercise
- Creative folded-paper “doorway” art activity
- Optional sharing and discussion Preparation for Session Two
Session 2: “Speaking from the Soul: Soul Collage® Cards”
When: Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 6-7pm
Where: Medical Education 216B Hybrid format (in-person + virtual option)
Participants will create personal Soul Collage® cards using a guided, reflective process focused on inner voice, identity, and meaning-making.
Activities include:
- Introduction to Soul Collage®
- Creative card-making session
- Reflective writing and paired sharing