Meet Mollie Borgione

Mollie Borgione’s art studio is an explosion of color, texture, and creativity. Her career journey into art therapy is a fascinating experience, as she was connected to Hospice of the Western Reserve long before she stepped into her art studio in the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center.
 


Prior to joining HWR, Mollie was a customer service representative with a home medical supply company. Her largest account was Hospice of the Western Reserve, and she was deeply impressed with the nurses and their profession. Business decisions outside of Mollie’s control led to her decision to change careers. At age 50, she graduated with her Master’s in Art Therapy and Counseling from Ursuline College.
 
A year following her graduation, Mollie accepted a position with Hospice of the Western Reserve’s bereavement services, and she recently celebrated her 12-year anniversary with the agency.
 


Mollie’s work as an art therapist involves guiding participants to express their grief and emotions through art, including collage-making, painting, drawing, clay and so much more. She builds workshops and guides conversations to help people communicate through the creation of art. The sessions allow participants to process their grief and their emotions in a world that often does not provide the space for grieving people to do so.
 
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a fair share of creative challenges for Mollie. She had to quickly pivot from leading in-person workshops to guiding virtual sessions using the Microsoft Team platform to connect online with participants. Art supplies for each virtual session were shipped in advance. Before 2020, each in-person workshop consisted of one session, once a month, where participants made art together. To accommodate pandemic restrictions, Mollie redesigned her workshops to two virtual sessions, which offered more time for group connection.
 
In these virtual sessions, the first session involves grief education and discussion, and normalizing the participants’ grief experiences and complicated emotions. Then, participants have an entire week to create their art in their own homes. In the second virtual meeting, participants show what they created and talk about their creative process.
 
“To have the ability to remain in the comfort of their own homes meant a lot to the participants,” says Mollie. “There are people who are able to engage in the workshops virtually who would not have been able to attend in person. Also, families whose members are spread out across the country were able to connect online and participate in the art therapy projects together.”
 
She notes that in the same vein, there are people who were unable to participate due to technology barriers. As of April 2022, Hospice of the Western Reserve has been offering art therapy sessions both in-person and online. This choice allows the agency to reach more people with this expressive therapy and social outlet.
 
Mollie’s art therapy sessions are community-based, so all who are grieving, regardless of age, are invited to attend. She is warm, welcoming, and encouraging, which is reflected in her approach to her work.
 
“There is a beauty in art therapy,” she says. “You do not have to be an expert! This is a place to create and have any emotion you want. You are in a room full of people who get it. We offer these services to help our community heal.”
 
For more information about Hospice of the Western Reserve’s bereavement services, visit https://www.hospicewr.org/WRGS.