Care for the whole person
The Healthcare & Humanities Lab (HHL) at Concordia University Ann Arbor envisions a future where compassionate, holistic healthcare is enriched by the transformative insights of the humanities. Rooted in Concordia’s mission to develop students in mind, body, and spirit, the HHL fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between health sciences, philosophy, literature, ethics, history, theology, and the arts. Through this integration, we prepare well-rounded healthcare leaders who understand that effective care extends beyond technical expertise to embrace empathy, communication, moral discernment, and respect for human dignity.
About HHL
Programs
Open creative space for visual art, journaling, and reflective writing. Practice emotional regulation techniques, develop therapeutic presence, and process clinical experiences in a supportive, trauma-informed environment. Build skills in creative expression that can be adapted for patient-centered interventions.
Interactive sessions using literature, poetry, and narrative medicine to strengthen patient communication strategies. Learn to elicit patient stories, recognize illness narratives, and document psychosocial factors that impact treatment outcomes. Recent sessions include "Dear Future Patient," a reflective writing activity that helps students articulate therapeutic values and develop person-centered communication approaches.
Sessions using the substantial physical musical resources of the HHL, exploring therapies utilizing musical instruments, deep listening, musical meditation, and collaborative musical creation and improvisation.
Historical sessions aimed at deeper understanding of important healthcare providers who advanced the human side of care, including hospice care, psychosocial treatments for cancer, etc. Drawing on written and visual biography and auto-biography, students are invited to place themselves in the narrative of continued advancement in whole-person healthcare.
A collaborative and on-going installation where students, faculty, and community members share stories, reflections, and creative expressions of healing. Practice witnessing patient narratives, honoring diverse experiences of illness and recovery, and developing cultural humility in clinical contexts.
Content-specific workshops led by faculty in music therapy, art therapy, psychology, movement practices, and clinical communication. These sessions provide in-depth training in specific psychosocial intervention techniques, therapeutic use of creative modalities, and strategies for integrating whole-person care into clinical practice.
The annual journal of the Healthcare & Humanities Lab — incorporating healthcare-related submissions from students, faculty, and outside community members in poetry, literature, music, and visual art.
Get involved
The Healthcare & Humanities Lab is open to all Concordia graduate students, faculty, staff, and community partners. Here's how you can participate:
Visit during open lab hours
Drop in for skill-building activities focused on emotional regulation, reflective practice, and therapeutic presence. Practice psychosocial assessment techniques, patient communication strategies, and creative interventions in a low-stakes environment before applying them in clinical settings. The HHL is also a great place for quiet study, or just to hang-out and create.
Open Lab Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 10:30am-3pm
Attend a Workshop or Lab Series Event
Join us for in-depth sessions led by clinical experts and HHL facilitators. Learn evidence-based approaches to music therapy, art therapy, narrative medicine, and movement-based interventions. Sessions include hands-on practice, case studies, and client-ready protocols.
Collaborate with the HHL
Students: Interested in collaborating with the HHL on capstone projects or other research that has a humanities focus? We offer faculty-guided project advising and assistance, as well as the physical resources of the HHL to conduct class presentations, workshops, or research experiments.
Faculty and clinical instructors: Interested in integrating psychosocial and humanities training into your PT, OT, or PA curriculum? We offer customized workshops, station-based sessions, and co-facilitation opportunities aligned with accreditation standards and program learning outcomes.
Contact us to explore collaboration: hhl@cuaa.edu
Upcoming Events
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