(Re)Creating Childhood-Like Memories: Using Pre-Art Materials in Group Art Therapy with Older Women

The Art therapy intern (ATI) wondered if there was a place for activities/directives using pre-art materials meant for children in an art therapy group for older women with personal histories of abuse/trauma. Following a personal exploration with these activities/directives and discovering there were some personal benefits, she brought these activities/directives to the older women’s art therapy group she was facilitating. To determine if these pre-art activities/directives have any benefits for this population the ATI used the retrospective case study and hermeneutic-phenomenological method of inquiry with a thematic analysis to report the findings for eight art therapy sessions using pre-art materials. The participants reported experiencing reduced feelings of stress/anxiety, reminiscing about childhood, feeling a sense of connection/belonging with other group members and increase in self-esteem as some of the benefits from the art therapy sessions. Based on the Art therapy intern’s observations and participants’ feedback the ATI believes there are several positive benefits for using pre-art materials’ activities/directives in group art therapy with older women.