Art Therapy @ Ren Ci

Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses visual arts as its primary mode of expression. Through Art Therapy, individuals are supported in their creative process, within a therapeutic relationship, to improve their psychosocial and socio-emotional well-being.

Art Therapy is facilitated by Art Therapists who have undergone post-graduate training in Art Therapy.

This therapeutic modality was formally introduced to Ren Ci in 2017 with the aim of providing a source of joy to Elders under our care. Our Art Therapists would engage the Elders across our facilities with different art forms while addressing their needs and reaping the benefits of creating art. The benefits include: The facilitation of self-expression, emotional regulation, promoting insights, resolving inner conflicts, fostering emotional and psychological resilience, establishing a positive sense of self and self-identity, enabling individuals to find empowerment, positive development and meaning making of life’s experiences. Other benefits include improvement in motor skills & coordination, and cognitive function, such as stimulation of memories, and being able to share their memories through speech. Opportunities for social connections are enhanced, resulting in improved mood and mental health. Art Therapists have also worked with staff and caregivers to address caregiver stress, and facilitate self-care programmes to support their emotional, creative and spiritual growth.

In Ren Ci, Art Therapy is provided individually and within group settings, depending on suitability and the intervention objectives. The Art Therapy: Memories in the Making group programme for Persons with dementia and the Art Therapy Open Studio are two unique Art Therapy group programmes in Ren Ci. The artworks show glimpses of their creative abilities amid their diverse interests, approaches and personal narratives. These artistic expressions are a testament of how one may still rekindle old talents or find new ones while creatively celebrating one’s lived and still unfolding life

The Art Circle (2020)

The Art Circle celebrates the works of 15 members from diverse backgrounds, who have come together in 2019 to create different art forms. Members engaged with the Art Therapists and art process to express their hidden emotional issues that may otherwise have remained unexpressed. Through the therapeutic creative art process, they were supported to build on their achievements, validate their successes in life, and leave a form of legacy to those significant to them.

The Happy Show (2019)

Jointly titled by members of the Art Therapy: Memories in the Making group programme, The Happy Show features the artworks of members from the Art Therapy Open Studio as well as the Art Therapy: Memories in the Making group programme. At the heart of the art show were our exhibiting residents who shared the stories behind their artworks and recounted what they had creatively expressed in their images at the moment of creation. The artworks spoke of the universal themes of struggle, loss, hope, faith, love, joy and happiness.