Reciprocity

This project was named Reciprocity and it is the culmination of efforts aimed at bringing the therapeutic benefits of art to the elders of my community in Lebanon. This was done by training students in the helping fields to become art for wellness facilitators. This project consists of a video and a handbook. The video starts by describing how the entire process of this project was conducted, which is divided into three phases. The initial phase consisted of eight virtual art therapy sessions, where my co-facilitator and I were offering mindfulness and strength-based art therapy prompts. Following this, a psychoeducational session was conducted to clarify the roles and expectations of facilitators, covering topics such as boundaries, spatial setup, and the choice of art materials. In the third and final phase, the art for wellness facilitators implemented this training by conducting art for wellness sessions in their communities. Through a not-for-profit called Eldertree that was started by my partner Hana Bechara and I, we were able to organize six art for wellness sessions at the University of Seniors at the American University of Beirut. The second half of this video, you will be able to see an art for wellness session facilitated by the art for wellness facilitators. I used subtitles to translate the Arabic into English.