Possibilities of Use of Art Therapy with Adults and Elderly People

Abstract

In the contribution the author defines art therapy as a creative activity, she emphasizes its therapeutic and preventive potential and points out the possibility of influencing adults and elderly people by using art therapy. It would be useful to realize art therapy themes and exercises in social facilities or through the offer of leisure time activities and use their therapeutic and preventive potential. By adapting topics to the needs of chosen age groups of clients they would facilitate solving their current problems (in the family, at work, meaning of life, aging problems etc. Method of realization of art therapy techniques is varied based on the needs of individual clients, depending on whether the activities and themes are aimed at intact clients or at handicapped clients (psychically, physically, socially). Each of these client categories has its specific needs and specific therefore will be also the goals of art therapy. In the contribution therefore specific goals of art therapy with individual types of clients are defined and some suitable themes and techniques of work with adults and elderly people are presented. The author also in the contribution briefly defines Development art therapy programme for adolescents / Personal development, which she realizes at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava with students of 23 to 26 years of age.