Art therapy became a distinct form of psychotherapy back in the 1940s. It was considered an effective way for people of different age groups to express their emotions and achieve personal growth.
Art therapy helps people gain self-understanding and effectively process their emotional changes. Many therapists prescribe art therapy to patients to help them cope with loss, grief, or other emotions that they may have experienced.
Different activities can act as a source of comfort and also be beneficial for your health. It is a well-documented fact that seniors who practice various forms of art therapy can improve their quality of life and experience less stress.
What is Art Therapy?
Art therapy entails using creative art forms to help people cope with physical and mental stress through managing, understanding, and expressing their grief. Many research pieces point to the fact that while professional art therapy requires an art therapist, people can also benefit from going to regular art classes.
While art practices such as painting and drawing are thought to be a hobby or a profession for some people, research shows that it can act as a valuable resource to improve seniors’ mental and physical health. An experienced art therapist can help guide seniors to express their health imbalance using different forms of art.
The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as an “integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.”
What are the benefits of Art Therapy?
Improved Cognitive Function
Art therapy helps to challenge seniors to make art in any form they like. This activity helps stimulate their senses to become sharper and more active. When someone who is not familiar with art tries it, it enhances their thinking skills. Art therapy makes it easier to form quick neural connections in the brain that may have slowed down due to aging.
Improved Mood
Art therapy has been proven to help reduce feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety in all age groups. It is especially helpful for seniors because it helps them divert their focus and free time to something productive. Studies have shown that seniors who perform any kind of creative arts experience lower levels of loneliness and depression. This activity helps improve their quality of life by providing them with an outlet for all their suppressed emotions.
Aging comes with vision and hearing loss, which can often be frustrating and cause negative emotions and stress in seniors. Focusing on painting and drawing using tools such as pencils or paints can help them to relax and focus on positive feelings instead. Art therapy provides seniors with an outlet for their frustration and helps them cope with several issues.
Improved Motor Skills
Art therapy helps people to function in their limbs and joints. When painting or drawing, people exercise their hands and arms through a movement that enhances their motor skills. With the help of art therapy, people can enhance blood flow, improve muscle coordination, and build better dexterity with time.
More Social Interaction
Art therapy can be a great way to socialize with people. Seniors can meet like-minded people there whom they can easily relate to. These connections can help them combat loneliness, and they can expand their social circle. Talking to people who can understand and relate to you can be very therapeutic. Art therapy can help people create meaningful bonds that they can entertain outside the class too.
Better Self-Expression
Most seniors find it tough to communicate verbally with people due to physical or mental deterioration. Art therapy can provide them with an alternative way of expressing their emotions and thoughts. An experienced art therapist can guide these people to create art exercises to express themselves openly.
This art of self-expression can help seniors to express themselves better to even their family or caretakers. Art has very therapeutic abilities and can often help bring suppressed feelings out in the open. This can help people deal with loss or grief in their own time and way and heal themselves along the way.
Pain Relief
Art therapy has also shown to reduce pain in seniors. It has proven to be helpful with disorders and symptoms such as chronic pain. People who suffer from joint problems such as arthritis can relieve their pain and inflammation using art therapy. Firstly, art therapy helps them exercise their joints, and secondly, it can redirect their focus from pain to creating art. Art has soothing effects on the brain, which can help in reducing emotional distress as well.
Different Thought Processes
Art therapy is also beneficial in changing the perspective of a person. When you pursue art, you come across different ideas which you might not have experienced before. This kind of therapy can bring change and excitement in your life as you can try out different things rather than the old ways of life. Exploring new perspectives and ideas can help change a person’s attitude towards life and bring them joy.
Improved Memory
Practicing art therapy can help seniors retain new thoughts. Seniors suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia can benefit immensely from art therapy. Music and painting can even help one remember forgotten memories about old times and loved ones. This is because new experiences can make them reminisce about old ones. Art therapy can also help present people with memory loss the ability to think clearly and function optimally.
Final Verdict
Art therapy can be extremely rewarding for people of all age groups. But it is exceptionally beneficial for seniors as it can give them a new life. They can go out, experience new things, form new social bonds, think creatively, and exercise simultaneously. Art can provide them with a way to express themselves freely and help with mental and physical health. It promotes positive and healthy feelings, better physical abilities, and also has a soothing calming effect.