Art is a creative, focused, self-reflective activity, capable of producing positive thoughts and emotions. When guided by a highly trained professional, its therapeutic impact can be profound. So, can creating art serve as therapy specifically for older adults? Let’s explore the benefits and the research supporting it.

What Does an Art Therapist Do?

An art therapist is a mental health professional who possesses at minimum a master’s degree in art therapy from an Art Therapy Association-accredited program. They do not have to be gifted artists, but they do have to have experience with a variety of art mediums, such as painting, drawing, sculpture and pottery-making.

Art therapists don’t critique a person’s artistic efforts, but rather help guide them in using art to freely express their feelings and emotions. They help develop skills that increase cognitive ability and self-awareness, and improve interactions with others through the practice of art.

How Can Seniors Benefit from Art Therapy

Art therapy is a treatment program that can help improve or heal mental or emotional wounds, relieve stress, and boost health and wellbeing.

For seniors, art therapy can be helpful for many issues, such as:

  • Medical impairments
  • Dementia
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Grief
  • Severe stress and anxiety

Learning new art forms can help those who are consistently frustrated or struggling to relax  focus on positive feelings.

Art therapy can also provide physical benefits to seniors by working the artist’s arms, improving muscle coordination and dexterity, and enhancing blood flow. Focusing on creating can also help you relax, which can in turn ease chronic pain.

Participants will gather with likeminded people and interact with them in the art therapy class setting, which can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Practicing creative arts also has been known to help people with dementia recover forgotten memories about loved ones, think more clearly, and connect with those around them.

What the Research Has Shown

A 2018 study of senior participants indicated that art therapy reduces stress and confusion, which leads to decreased depression, and increased cognitive function. Other advantages include feeling a sense of accomplishment, improvements in hand dexterity and pain relief, and better communication with loved ones.

A National Institutes of Health examination of 31 reviewed studies on the benefit of the arts for older adults revealed “overwhelming positive cognitive and quality of life results for seniors participating in various art forms.” These art forms included:

  • Dance
  • Creative writing
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Visual arts

Where do Art Therapists Work?

According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), art therapists work with individuals, couples, families and groups in a variety of settings. You might find them working in the following:

  • Hospitals
  • Schools
  • Veterans’ clinics
  • Physician private practices
  • Psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities
  • Community clinics
  • Crisis centers
  • Forensic institutions
  • Senior living communities

People in these environments can specifically benefit from art therapy regardless of their age, and can experience all the benefits and more simply by tapping into their creativity.

For more ideas on therapeutic activities for seniors, please visit Bethesda’s Health & Wellness blog.

Rehab & Therapy
activities for seniors art therapy health and wellness mental health