Speaker. Singer. Survivor.
The arts and the power of community helped facilitate my healing after a diagnosis of Leukemia at the age of 13.
Thanks to two and-a-half years of chemotherapy, I’ve been cancer free since 2002 and completed my BA in Music and minor in Psychology from Bethany University.
My experience with Leukemia taught me that arts engagement was vital for people experiencing trauma. To provide access to isolated patients, I started volunteering to sing for cancer patients at a hospital in San Antonio, TX in 2009. My patients begged for more art and music, so in 2016, I started what became a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit, Hearts Need Art: Creative Support for Patients and Caregivers.
I passed on the leadership of the Hearts Need Art in 2022, around the same time my husband and I received placement of 5 of our adopted son’s bio siblings. Becoming a fictive kin foster parent required me to draw upon all my skills as a trauma-informed caregiver and artist. Experiencing the brokenness of the child welfare system firsthand spurred me to use my background in system design for vulnerable populations to form a grassroots effort to advocate for reform.
Now, as the owner of Constanza Roeder Consulting LLC, I equip leaders and teams to transform the health and well-being of their communities through the arts.
My Values & Beliefs
-
Love undergirds the fabric of reality. Our life is shaped by love or the lack of it.
-
Creating art is the process of making invisible thoughts and feelings visible. When we sing together, create together, and share our stories, we can more fully see and know each other.
-
Our society tells us that only talented people should be allowed to do art. But, art making is our birthright as humans. Our first languages are singing, dancing, and art making. We only stop once someone tells us we’re “bad.” Art creation is a profoundly human act that is too important to be left to professionals.
How do we reframe the arts to address modern problems?
Contrary to popular belief, we can’t self-care our way out of needing others…and no, you don’t have to be an “artist” to benefit from Us-Care.
“Us-care” implies a collaborative approach to wellness between individuals and their respective groups; it encourages the proactive creation of rhythms and rituals to sustain and protect human thriving; and it promotes self-awareness of the individual and responsive action of the group when support, resources, and rest are needed for whole-person health.
This approach can be applied in various settings such as healthcare, small or corporate businesses, churches, schools, social services, government systems, and more.
It starts with Us-Care.
Want to learn more about Us-Care and
how it works?
Ways to Engage
-
Speaking
Looking for a keynote speaker who will engage and empower your audience? Constanza’s unique story-telling method synthesized with current research provides listeners with thought-provoking content and real-world application.
-
Arts in Health Training
We’re committed to creating quality, accessible continuing education for Arts in Health professionals. Whether you just started in the field or you’re a veteran, we’re confident you will come away from our courses edified, energized, and empowered.
-
Consulting
Are you an organization wanting to start an Arts in Health program or a nonprofit that needs support? Save time and money with expert advice. Learn how you can benefit from more than a decade of Constanza’s experience in Arts in Health and nonprofit startup/management.
-
Expressive Arts Lessons
Increase your singing abilities and/or learn to use your mark-making, movement, and voice as self-regulation tools. Learn from Constanza’s 15 years of experience as a voice teacher, writer, singer, and trauma-informed Arts in Health Professional. Individual sessions are available online or in person for San Antonio locals.