Patarimai senjorų artimiesiems: kaip padėti kenčiantiems sustiprėjusį nerimą?
March 3, 2022
Pagalba senjorams į namus: „Senjoro“ vadovė R. Bitautaitė paneigia įsisenėjusius mitus
March 25, 2022
March 10 brought not only the first signs of spring to the Klaipėda Senior team and its seniors, but also provided an opportunity to immerse yourself in art therapy. The seniors were impressed, from overcoming anxious thoughts about the war in Ukraine to a nostalgic return to childhood memories. Silvija Jablonskaitė, the coordinator of Klaipėda's "Senior", said what moods seniors brought from art therapy.
Seniors' coordinator Silvia shares the impression that although the seniors were initially tortured with great anxiety about the war in Ukraine, art therapy helped them to forget their negative emotions for a while.
At the beginning of the session, the seniors shared their feelings, reassured each other that life was over and that they had already survived their "war". We listened briefly to both tears and stories of him hiding in the woods where he was hiding partisans. After talking and releasing emotions, the conversation turned to the topic of harmony - what it means to us. Then it was time for a practical task. We each closed our eyes and imagined what would happen to us when something obscured the harmony. Closing our left hand on a piece of paper with a pencil, we ranked "varanges" as if expressing our feelings and emotions. And they are invisible! And we close our eyes too! ”Says Silvija cheerfully.
After completing the task, the seniors were able to open their eyes and look at what they were drawing. He later squeezed the sheets of paper hard, releasing all his anxious thoughts at the same time. Then all the crumpled leaves were soaked in water to wash away the sadness, and when they were pulled out they were torn to shreds and already glued to the large sheets of paper. And he painted, painted: every house with a chimney and the puppies guarding it, every flower and sun, seas and islands, forests, flags or images of spring.
“After finishing our drawings, we organized a commission: going around the table, we looked at our paintings, evaluated them and wrote down the names on each leaflet: spring, love, world, peace, gratitude, home, farm, spring again and spring again. The day that greeted the beautiful weather was so grateful to us that it was all reflected in the seniors ’notes. It was good to see how after a restless start of art therapy, everyone gradually relaxed, pouring out their thoughts and feelings. In the end, the aroma therapy did its job: after warming our hands and receiving a drop of citrus essential oil, we went home very happy, ”says the senior coordinator.
Silvia assures that such therapies and gatherings benefit everyone - no matter the senior or the young person. As a result, the entire Senior company came out with equally vivid memories and pleasant feelings.
“It’s good for seniors to go back to childhood with a brush in hand, with lots of color and witty comments. Everyone agreed, even with trembling hands, as they leaned on to write the notes with fun elbows. And smelling lemons and already walking through the door, we were planning together when we would have to buy watercolors, ”Silvija smiles.
The Klaipėda Seniors team sincerely thanks the Klaipėda City Public Health Bureau for the art therapy.
