Art's healing touch

Last summer, I spent some time chatting with a doctor who works with patients with mental disabilities and learning issues from marginalised sections of society. I had proposed the use of art as a therapeutic tool for his recovery programme. We agreed there was substantiation to suggest that those traumatised by instances of childhood violence were better able to address their emotions through art. Follow-up meetings with the NGO team, however, soon petered out. The programme remained still-born. 

Does art heal? Evidence would point towards that, and it seems the chain hospitals are taking cognizance of it — though the mostly