Art therapy: a ray of sunshine in the daily lives of seniors

Thanks to creative tools such as painting, sculpture, or collage, art therapy stimulates creativity, improves self-esteem, and reduces feelings of loneliness. By encouraging the expression of emotions and stimulating various cognitive and motor skills, art therapy helps maintain the well-being and autonomy of older people, regardless of their living environment.

Aging can be a period of great vulnerability, marked by physical and cognitive losses, as well as a sense of loneliness that can lead to suffering. Thanks to its expressive and relational power, art therapy allows older people to engage in creative projects, regain a sense of usefulness, and strengthen their self-esteem. This regular support promotes a sense of continuity and well-being.

Art therapy is a therapeutic tool that allows one to explore one's emotions and develop new resources. It uses artistic mediations such as painting, clay, collage, felt-tip pens, colored pencils... It promotes social interactions and creates a bond between participants.

In institutions, art therapy, which is particularly beneficial, helps older people to remain in a project dynamic, to feel alive, to feel active, valued, and to maintain social ties, thus promoting their overall well-being.

During home care, art therapy can also contribute to maintaining the elderly person at home by stabilizing or restoring their motor, cognitive, and relational abilities.

By stimulating sensory, cognitive, and motor skills, art helps to maintain them, preserve the physical and mental well-being and autonomy of the elderly person, and promotes a more peaceful home life. In art therapy, the person is an actor in their own journey and does not undergo the activities, they express their creativity freely. Art therapy offers a space where each person can express their tastes, their desires and develop their own artistic style, thus promoting the process of valuing self-esteem and well-being.

The main objectives of art therapy for the elderly are:

• To promote creative expression, both verbal and non-verbal, using the power of art to stimulate imagination and well-being.

• By offering a space for free expression, art therapy allows older people to develop their creativity, their aesthetic abilities, and to strengthen their connection with themselves and others.

• To stimulate fine motor skills and coordination, thus promoting the maintenance of good posture and greater autonomy.

• By creating works of art, older people are led to develop their fine motor skills, improve their coordination and become aware of their body in space.

• Establishing a relationship of trust allows for the assessment of each person's abilities and needs.

• A relationship of trust based on listening and respect is essential to accompany each person in their creative process and to assess their expressive and communication abilities, their commitment to the activity, and their progress.

Art therapy offers personalized support, with individual or group sessions, to foster a free and confidential creative space, to respect everyone's pace and desires. The patient is free to choose the type of session that suits them best.

Would you like to know more? Do not hesitate to contact me for any questions or to make an appointment.

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