CREATIVE THERAPIES & PEER SUPPORT
Expression, connection, and healing - your way.
Tap into art, music, writing, and peer support circles that help you process, connect, and find meaning — no matter where you are in your cancer journey. These gentle, empowering therapies can ease emotional overwhelm, reduce isolation and restore a sense of self through community and creativity.
Reconnect Through Expression, Heal Through Community
Creative therapies and peer support invite you to process your experience in ways words alone often can’t. Whether through art, music, writing, or shared conversation, these approaches can reduce stress, restore a sense of self, and ease the emotional weight of cancer. From one-on-one creative sessions to group support circles, these services help you feel seen, understood and never alone on your path.
Why You Might Use Creative Therapies & Peer Support
Cancer can be emotionally overwhelming bringing waves of fear, isolation, frustration, and identity shifts. Creative therapies and peer support don’t replace clinical care, but they can offer meaningful emotional release, connection, and strength through expression and community. These tools are used across cancer care to help reduce emotional distress, boost resilience and support whole-person healing. Here’s how they may help:
1. Process emotions in a safe, expressive way
Art, writing, music, and movement-based therapies help you express what’s hard to put into words, whether it’s fear, grief, hope, or fatigue. These creative outlets can relieve stress, improve mood and help you feel more grounded.
2. Rebuild confidence and a sense of identity
Creative sessions support self-discovery and restore a sense of “you” outside of the cancer experience. They provide moments of joy, agency and empowerment in a time when so much can feel out of your control.
3. Feel seen, heard, and supported
Peer support connects you with others who truly understand. Whether one-on-one or in a group, these spaces offer shared understanding, encouragement and practical advice, reminding you that you’re not alone.
Here to Walk Beside You
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Ruby Smith - Creative Healer & Cancer Thriver
Ruby is a passionate voice in the cancer community, blending lived experience, creativity, and advocacy to offer hope and heart to others walking the same path. After navigating her own cancer journey using a blend of integrative and conventional medicine, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, sauna, fasting, immunotherapy, and naturopathic support, she now shares insights that helped her feel empowered, informed and supported.
Ruby’s project With Love, Ruby combines healing and creativity, with music written and donated to charities like the Ovarian Cancer Foundation of NZ. Her storytelling is raw, uplifting and real, reminding others they’re not alone.
She speaks especially to young women in Aotearoa facing late-stage diagnoses, and is a vocal advocate for earlier testing, second opinions and patient empowerment.
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Art Therapy via Cancer Society NZ
The Cancer Society of New Zealand offers access to art therapy as part of their holistic support approach. Led by trained therapists, these sessions use creative activities - drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, and more, to help people process feelings, manage anxiety and find calm during overwhelming times.
Whether someone is navigating a new diagnosis, undergoing treatment, or adjusting to survivorship, art therapy provides a safe, non-verbal way to explore and release emotion. It’s particularly supportive for those who find it hard to talk about what they’re going through.
Research shows that engaging in art-based therapy reduces cortisol levels, lowers fatigue and helps foster resilience and hope during cancer care.
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Music Therapy NZ & MusicHelps Programmes
Music Therapy New Zealand (MThNZ) and the MusicHelps charity fund and deliver therapeutic music programmes across hospices, hospitals, and cancer support services nationwide. Registered music therapists work with people affected by cancer to reduce anxiety, ease pain, and foster emotional expression - especially where words may fall short. These sessions can involve singing, instrument playing, or simply listening, tailored to each person’s energy and needs.Music therapy has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance quality of life during treatment and recovery. MusicHelps has funded numerous cancer-related programmes, helping patients and their whānau feel more connected, calm and supported throughout their journey.
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Look Good Feel Better
Look Good Feel Better is a nationwide charity dedicated to helping people face cancer with confidence. Their free workshops offer practical advice and hands-on guidance in skincare, makeup and self-care techniques - tailored specifically for those undergoing treatment like chemotherapy or radiation.
Run in person and online, the sessions are warm, welcoming, and empowering. Participants learn how to manage appearance-related side effects (such as hair loss or skin sensitivity) in a way that helps them feel more like themselves again.
Research shows that taking small steps toward self-care can significantly improve self-esteem, emotional wellbeing and social confidence during cancer treatment.
Endorsed by oncologists and widely available through New Zealand’s cancer clinics and hospitals, Look Good Feel Better is trusted and beloved by thousands of Kiwis navigating cancer.
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Aratika Cancer Trust – Journaling & Art Workshops
The Aratika Cancer Trust offers therapeutic journaling and art-based workshops for people with cancer and their whānau. Available through their in-person retreats and online programmes, these workshops invite participants to express themselves creatively, process grief or trauma and connect with others in similar journeys.
Facilitated by experienced guides, Aratika’s creative sessions focus on mindfulness, storytelling, and finding meaning through adversity. Whether it’s through guided journaling prompts or gentle group art activities, the emphasis is always on empowerment and self-compassion.
These workshops are designed specifically for those facing serious illness and integrate Māori values of connection, community, and aroha.
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Cancer Society Support Groups
The Cancer Society provides a wide network of support groups across Aotearoa, designed to help people with cancer connect, share, and feel less alone. Groups are available for various needs - from specific cancer types to caregivers and grief support. Some are in-person, while others are online, helping make connection more accessible no matter where you are.
Talking to others who truly understand what you’re going through can be life-changing. The Cancer Society’s groups offer a safe space for emotional expression, practical advice, and shared experiences, without judgment. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in recovery, or living with cancer long-term, there’s a place for you.Note: You can search by location or cancer type on their site to find the right group.
Clinical Evidence & Research
Creative and peer-based therapies are gaining momentum as supportive interventions for people navigating cancer. These approaches can help manage emotional challenges, reduce isolation, and restore a sense of identity and wellbeing during and after treatment.
Studies exploring art, music, journaling, and movement-based therapies have shown potential in improving mood, enhancing quality of life, and helping patients cope with the emotional and psychological toll of cancer. Peer support, whether through group programmes or one-on-one connections, has been associated with increased resilience and improved emotional health.
Emerging evidence suggests creative therapies and peer support may:
Lower anxiety, depression, and emotional distress during treatment
Improve coping strategies, communication, and self-expression
Increase hope, confidence, and a sense of control
Reduce feelings of isolation and promote connection with others
Complement conventional treatment by addressing the mind–body connection
While more robust trials are still emerging, creative therapies and peer support are widely recognised as safe, empowering and meaningful additions to integrative cancer care.
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Creative therapies have been shown to ease symptoms of depression and anxiety, promote emotional processing, and support identity reconstruction after diagnosis.
▸ Source: Wood et al., 2011, “Creative Arts Interventions for Psychosocial Benefits in Adults With Cancer,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
▸ Monti et al., 2006, “A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy for Women with Cancer,” Psycho-Oncology -
Studies indicate that cancer peer support—through group sessions, storytelling, or shared experiences—can significantly improve emotional coping, lower stress, and even enhance adherence to treatment.
▸ Source: Ussher et al., 2006, “The Role of Peer Support in Cancer Care: A Review,” Journal of Clinical Nursing
▸ Hoey et al., 2008, “Systematic Review of Peer-Support Programs in Cancer Patients,” Supportive Care in Cancer -
Structured music interventions have been linked to reduced pain, improved mood, and lower physiological stress responses in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.
▸ Source: Bradt et al., 2016, “Music Interventions for Psychological and Physical Outcomes in Cancer Patients,” Cochrane Database -
Expressive writing interventions have been associated with reduced emotional distress, improved immune markers, and a deeper sense of meaning in cancer patients.
▸ Source: Stanton et al., 2002, “Outcomes of Writing About Life Goals in Cancer Survivors,” Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
Real Support, Real Stories
How This Applies to Your Care
Trusted providers offer creative and peer-led support designed to nurture your emotional wellbeing, restore self-confidence, and help you feel more like yourself during and after cancer treatment. Whether it’s through music, art, journaling, or connecting with others who understand what you’re going through — these services can make a meaningful difference to your healing journey.
Creative therapies and peer support options are safe, accessible, and tailored to your personal experience. They can support your care by helping you to:
Process emotions and manage stress through guided self-expression
Reconnect with your identity beyond a diagnosis
Build community and reduce feelings of isolation
Improve resilience and mood with gentle, non-invasive approaches
Access support that complements both medical and holistic treatments
These therapies are not about performance — they’re about healing in your own way, on your own terms.
Ready to Explore Creative Support?
Whether you're drawn to music, art, movement, or meaningful connection — there’s something here for you. Discover free and trusted services that can support your emotional wellbeing during and beyond cancer treatment.