Engaged Art Therapy

06/11/2025

Busy hands, calm mind.

Today’s group certainly demonstrated that. Clay is a versatile and sensory medium that kept the participants engaged. There’s something very playful about it too. Some truly interesting creations emerged!

06/10/2025

During Dementia Action Week, I had the pleasure of running art therapy groups at residential aged care and community house. It was a busy week and I’ve yet I’ve never felt more energized.

In one group, I approached a woman who had paused making art while everyone else seemed absorbed. She explained to me that she struggled holding with her left hand, making it difficult to continue with the activity. The woman seated next to her graciously offered to help her out and held the paper for her so she could paint. It was a touching moment to witness and capture. A simple gesture made a world of difference.

I see these kind exchanges between participants time and time again. At the heart of the group is the relationships we build and nurture.

09/09/2025

This is the face of someone who loves her job.

It was a great opportunity to be a part of CareConnect’s program with older adults in the community. Once again I am reminded of how art therapy can bring a diverse group of people together and enable a meaningful exchange.

Facilitating a big group can be daunting, you never know how it will turn out. The participants came with such openness, warmth and enthusiasm. As I made my way from one table to another, I witnessed profound exchanges of personal stories and ideas. I’m so glad to be a part of it!

Grateful to have worked with collaborative people who were so trusting and generous - thank you Laura!

26/08/2025

When was the last time you challenged yourself creatively?

On the last session of our group art therapy program with older adults living with dementia, I wanted to offer a suitable challenge to the participants. We had been making art together for 5 weeks prior and I was confident they would enjoy making an elaborate artwork.

We used clay, paper, markers, paintbrushes - but not for painting. There were several steps involved, and they were all concentrating on each of their artworks.

One participant found the small pieces of paper to be difficult at first. The woman seated next to her offered to help her achieve what she wanted to do. She was very grateful to her and her seat mate appeared happy to help.

You can see each artwork looks different. They all started with the same materials available to them, and ended with a one-of-a-kind artwork celebrating their individual expression.

This was a challenge for me too, as this was the first time I made something this complex with a lot of participants. There was a lot of preparation involved and it was totally worth it.

Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. There is a time for tried and tested, no-fail activities but we also need to trust that people are very capable of learning and growing.

18/06/2025

I’ve been exploring mosaic as a medium in my art therapy sessions with older adults and it’s been a great success.

Mosaic has the combination of structure and freedom - a delicate balance that I always aim for in my sessions.

The structure comes from the process - putting the stones/tiles one by one to fill the space. It’s like putting puzzle pieces together but in a more fluid form.

The freedom comes from their choice of which stones to use, how much of that stone to put, what shape to make etc. In my group art therapy sessions, they all receive the same art materials - but each one makes an individual piece, no two are alike.

Mosaic is often also a new experience for the participants. These colourful stones alone are a sensory treat!



If you’re looking for new, creative and innovative ways to engage your aged care residents, send me a message! I’d love to connect.

20/05/2025

A wonderful surprise from a recent art therapy group I’ve had the pleasure of facilitating.

It’s been a privilege to work with day group with older people living with dementia in the community.

The end of our program was celebrated with morning tea and this very special piece from the participants - a collaborative artwork made by the group.

They used materials and techniques we used in our sessions. I always introduce novel art media to use to keep our sessions engaging and dynamic. They particularly liked the soft clay and made this very thoughtful artwork.

It’s unusual for me to take home artwork from sessions - I receive this with honor. Thank you 💚

29/01/2024

Our art therapy group in residential aged care is back in full swing!

Briony facilitated a thoughtful, multi-sensory art process with assorted vegetables and linen with the residents of Mercy Place East Melbourne.

“Beautiful process and a sensory delight! Apples, lemons, pomegranates, zucchinis, pears and squash. This process evoked many conversations around cooking and food (as well as gardening) and felt somehow reminiscent of sitting around a kitchen table with family and friends.

Residents were very absorbed in this process, and the artworks created naturally organic and individually expressive. This process was accessible for older hands, structured enough to feel safe but also allowed plenty of room for plenty of creative expression.

Sensory, evocative, flow state, nature based, food, memories.”

"It's good to stop thinking about yourself and just concentrate on doing" (Resident)

If you are interested in group art therapy for your aged care residents, send us a message! Engaged Art Therapy runs individual and group sessions in aged care homes across Melbourne.

02/10/2023

Engaged Art Therapy is expanding! Welcome Indu to the team!

Indu is a registered art therapist and a counsellor based in Melbourne. With a wealth of international experience as a school counsellor, Indu brings a unique blend of expertise, having facilitated mental health sessions and workshops.

Outside of work, Indu enjoys practicing her ukulele, playing board games, watching TV shows, and drinking chai.

18/09/2023

Welcoming spring with a floral-themed artwork 🌸

Materials:
Cupcake liners
Watercolour markers
Paintbrush
Water
Glue

Instructions:
-Cut cupcake liners into flower shapes
-Colour them using watercolour markers, choose as many colours as you like for each flower
-Paint the liner with water to achieve a soft, washed out effect
-Glue flowers to paper

Variation:
-Layer flowers on top of each other and crinkle petals to create a more 3D look

Will you give this floral artwork a try? 🌺🌼

18/09/2023

We are thrilled to have Briony as part of our growing team. Briony is a registered art therapist servicing the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne. Her strengths-based approach to art therapy encourages a positive experience when engaging in the art-making process.

Outside of work Briony enjoys looking after her eclectic collection of potplants, puddling around in her own artistic practice and taking her dog for regular walks by the creek. She is inspired by nature, creativity, eco-spirituality, the human-potential, symbolism and story.

Welcome, Briony!

05/07/2023

How do you define strength in the context of aged care?

In our latest article, we talk about how art therapy is a strengths-based approach and how important it is to adapt in aged care.

Read more here:

How do you define strength? For some, it might be defined through how heavy you can lift when you are in the gym. For others, strength might look like your capacity to be calm in a stressful situation. Putting it into context of aged care, “Strengths are perceived as health assets and are viewed a...

03/07/2023

Looking for art activities for your aged care group? We’ve got you covered! Click on the link in bio for more ideas and instructions. These art activities have been tried and tested and caters to all capabilities.

For more, click below:
https://www.engagedarttherapy.com/post/5-art-activities-for-aged-care-beyond-colouring-in