Creative Aging

A professor once told me, “Creativity is the last thing a person with dementia loses”.  

So why is it that as we age, accessibility to creative programs for older adults decreases? Creativity does not stop, because we age.   

Providing individual and therapeutic art groups for seniors of all ages and skill levels is my passion. In these programs, creativity goes beyond "I can't draw".  Clients are given the ability to tackle hard to talk about subjects through the process of creating art.  They are also given the ability to increase socialization and connection to others in a safe environment.

Offered Services:

Individual Art Therapy Sessions- These occur in the home or assisted living of an older adult and move at the client's pace.  Individual sessions are great for older adults who stray from group activities, but accept individual supports. Support topics are not limited to, but can include loss of a spouse, diagnosis shock, isolation, depression and anxiety. 

Skill Based Art Therapy for Senior Centers - This group is hosted by a Senior Center or similar organization. Participants are taught skills that they use to create their own individual artwork based on a theme or topic. Skills learned in this group can be used again and hope to spark an interest in creating art outside of the group. Groups are monthly and a great way to connect community members. Currently all groups are VIRTUAL.

Art Therapy Open Studio - This group is unstructured and participants are given the ability to investigate their own themes and create their own work.  Participants gather in the beginning and set their intentions, create in the middle, and meet back together at the end to share their work.  These groups allow time at the end for discussion about a person's journey through art creation that day.  The hope with this type of group is that participants are supporting and connecting with one another.  

Art Therapy for Caregivers - This is a structured group for caregivers of adults living with neurodegenerative progressive diseases (ie Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s etc). Stress-related topics will arise in these groups. This group's purpose to create relief for the caregiver.  It is also an opportunity to create new relationships and know you're not alone.

Memory Cafes Art Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease and dementia - This is a structured group for older adults living with dementia.  These groups follow a theme and are failure-free.  The group is about giving a person living with dementia a safe place for self-expression.