Maj. Klint Holscher of the Nebraska Air National Guard knew something had to give in his life. His struggles with fear, anxiety and depression were spilling over into his closest relationships, including with his children and wife.
“I had to find a way to adopt a ‘whole health’ concept and find positive ways to relieve my internal pressures,” said Holscher, a comptroller.
He decided to try the classes at heARTS for Healing, a Nebraska-based nonprofit focused on advancing the arts to promote healing and wellness amongst veterans, military families and others struggling with trauma. Holscher was hesitant, given that he had no art background, but Cara Loken, heARTS for Healing’s founder, immediately put him at ease.
“I tried heARTS for Healing’s art therapy program as a way to take my mind off my stressors and force myself to focus on something else,” Holscher said. “The programs have helped me relax, smile and find a new interest.”
That’s always the goal for Loken, a National Guard wife and previous Armed Forces Insurance National Guard Military Spouse of the Year. She created heARTS for Healing in 2016 after noticing how much art helped her son as he transitioned out of the military and into civilian life. It didn’t seem to matter what kind of art — just working with his hands made a significant difference.
Before long, Loken was teaching classes and hosting retreats. Today, she teaches virtually for the Nebraska and western Iowa VA, among a glut of other programs, and runs events in an outbuilding on her property. So far, heARTS for Healing has helped 8,300 people, many of them military-connected.
“Listening to people’s stories, I’m constantly hearing them say how much they look forward to our class,” said Loken, a reserve component Transition assistance advisor. “To hear that heARTS for Healing is making a difference, that makes me feel really good, like I’m helping somebody and there’s a purpose for this program.”
She has hard science to back her up. Multiple studies have shown that art therapy (even in informal, non-professional settings like heARTS for Healing’s) lessen the impact of trauma, including a study from Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association demonstrating “significant improvement” in post-traumatic growth amongst 76% of veterans.
Another out of Military Psychology found “that art therapy helps to externalize the many invisible wounds of war including complex emotions associated with TBI and PTS as well as identity struggles, grief, loss, self-regulation and processing of trauma.”
Loken sees those results firsthand — including with military children. Nebraska Army National Guard Maj. Edward Bosland has two children (ages 9 and 11) who have attended heARTS for Healing programs alongside him.
“They constantly ask when the next event is, and what we will be making,” Bosland said. “Needless to say, the artwork from these events is displayed with pride, including my own lowly efforts. This program is a fantastic opportunity for military youth to engage with their peers and explore a new skillset.”
Loken, an artist since childhood, is still learning new skillsets herself as heARTS for Healing’s director. Future goals include finding a grant writer (currently, it is funded through private donations) and expanding the charity’s offerings, including a class for kids to learn life skills like changing tires, and a chaplaincy partnership to help military children survive deployments.
“We’ve started working a little bit with clay. We don’t have a kiln, but we’re going to start learning to do screen printing, too,” said Loken, who estimates she spends 10-15 hours a week on heARTS for Healing. “People say, ‘If I didn’t have this class, I don’t know what I would do every month, but I’d probably be depressed and unhappy.”
Visit heARTS for Healing to learn more
