Art Therapy for the Elderly

Supervisor: Ing. Markéta Dubnová, Ph.D.

Lecturer: Mgr. Lucie Poláková

Lecturer's medallion: Long-term external lecturer of the Department of Social Work at the College of Polytechnics Jihlava, lecturer of the University of the Third Age at the College of Polytechnics (topics: Psychology and Art Therapy, Basics of Psychology). Graduate of systematic training in art therapy and art philetics (completed in 2011), graduate of specialized training in ethnotherapy, art therapy with disabled children, art therapy for teachers, terratherapy. For many years she has been volunteering (oncology patients in Jihlava hospital, low threshold facility Klubíčko in Jihlava) and for three years she worked in a aftercare program for alcohol and drug addicts in Jihlava. She worked as an art therapist in Sdílení, o.p.s. (training of employees and volunteers), in the Home for the Elderly in Myslibořice, and cooperates with the Regional Office of the Vysočina Region and Senior Point Jihlava on other educational events in the Vysočina Region. Every year she organizes a summer stay with art therapy for families with children in Vysočina.

Annotation: Art therapy is a modern discipline that belongs among expressive therapies, and which combines our creativity and artistic sensitivity with psychotherapy. So we can simply say that it is "therapy through art", during which clients can talk about what they feel, how they are doing or reflect on their life. For seniors, the individual art therapy methods focus mainly on promoting self-esteem, self-expression, communication (including in groups), working with emotions or reflecting on one's own life (memory work). They are meant to motivate clients to have a positive outlook on life and the future in general, not to mention the artworks that are often created (in art therapy, however, the process is more important than the final work).

Methods may change, depending on the clients' mood at the time. They are therefore indicative only.

Number of semesters: 2

Training day: Tuesdays

Tutorial Time: 10:45-12:15

Course end: workshop

Recommended readings: to be specified in class

Registration: from 1 June 2025 via e-application

Please note: The team of the University of the Third Age of the College of Polytechnics reserves the right to change for organizational reasons (lecturer, date, time of the class). Any changes will always be communicated to those interested in the course in a timely manner.

Application for 2025 / 2026 is not possible, the course capacity has already been filled