This qualitative research used a henneneutic phenomenological approach to discover meaning and nature of the aged’s experience through a group art psychotherapy and look into the considerations in carrying out art psychotherapy for the Korean aged.
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This qualitative research used a henneneutic phenomenological approach to discover meaning and nature of the aged’s experience through a group art psychotherapy and look into the considerations in carrying out art psychotherapy for the Korean aged.
The participants of this research are those using the elderly home residing in Seoul, and their experiences were gathered through individual interviews after performing a group art psychotherapy. The study was guided by van Manen’s method for doing research. the method of inquiry included ; turning to phenomenon of interest ; inquiring and investigating experience as it was lived rather than as conceptualized ; reflecting and analyzing essential themes which characterize phenomenon ; and describing phenomenon through art of writing and rewriting. The participants this study were the aged over 65, who were 20 male and female aged using the elderly home in Seoul, and about 60 unexperienced in an individual art psychotherapy or group art psychotherapy, but able to participate at a group psychotherapy. The research period was from July 2002 till October 2002, and data was coUected through in-deep interviews after 7 sessions of a group art psychotherapy, and interview data were obtained till they were full. Also this researcher could use produced works and activity shapes after getting an infonned approval from the research participants.
As a result of the statements of research participants, many topics were elicited, and the statements were divided to experiencing in the course of looking for materials, that during activity, and that through a group’s developmental process, and that in finishing activity at large, and as a result of analyzing the collected data, 9 main and themes to the participants’ group art activity are as follows.
<Recalling interesting and intimate feelings in childhood>
<Remembering past years and experiencing regretfulness>
<Feeling emptiness and helplessness experiencing old ’I’>
<Feeling oppressed for not being free to do>
<Exposing the type of dealing with life feelings in a group>
<Feeling freshness, stability, warmth at an art activity>
<Engrossed in an art activity>
<Pleasure for an art activity newly approached>
<Producing confidence and expectation>