Art and music therapy supports patients throughout their healing journey

'Healing Power of the Arts' program at AdventHealth is using music as a form of medicine

ORLANDO, Fla. — For patients facing serious illness, healing often involves more than medicine alone. Alongside initiatives such as AdventHealth's Performer Health Program, art and music therapy services help patients find comfort, reduce anxiety and reconnect with hope throughout their treatment journey.

"I just felt like God was with me."

A recent WESH 2 News story, "Healing Power of the Arts program at AdventHealth is using music as a form of medicine," highlighted AdventHealth's art and music therapy services through the experience of patient Mai Linh Nguyen Achong, who has been living with a rare form of ovarian cancer for 18 years.

During the interview, Achong shared how music has become a source of strength during some of her most difficult moments.

"I was so weak, but I felt at peace," Achong told WESH 2. "I just felt like God was with me and that it was a way for me to get through that moment in the darkness and to heal."

As featured in the story, board-certified music therapist Alyssa Cassidy brings music directly to patients' hospital rooms and treatment appointments, using evidence-based interventions to help address pain, anxiety, nausea and other side effects associated with illness and treatment.

We believe the arts offer a sense of healing. This idea reflects AdventHealth's whole-person health philosophy by integrating creative arts into patient care, including initiatives like the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts STROKESTRA program to support stroke survivors.

Through the AdventHealth Performer Health Program, AdventHealth is committed to providing specialized care for Central Florida's performing arts community.

"We really believe that art is medicine."

During the WESH 2 interview, Dr. Monisha Seth, medical director for strategy and experience at AdventHealth Central Florida, discussed the growing body of research demonstrating the positive impact the arts can have on physical and emotional well-being.

"We really believe that art is medicine," Dr. Seth said. "The more we can bring that to the community, it's just going to be successful for everybody."

While music and art therapy do not replace medical treatment, they can play an important role in helping patients navigate their health journey by fostering connection, reducing stress and supporting overall well-being.

Discover how AdventHealth is advancing whole-person care through art and music therapy services, the Performer Health Program and other innovative arts initiatives.