Existential Art Therapy with an Elder Male Following Spousal Loss: A Clinical Case Study

Spousal loss in late life is a common experience for elders, especially considering the current increase in longevity occurring throughout the population. Unfortunately, the traumatic impact of this experience is often minimized due to the societal expectation of death in old age, resulting in a lack of focus on this unique bereavement process. Throughout an elders grief process, a great deal of existential questioning often arises, not only regarding the loss of his or her spouse but also in regard to his or her own mortality due to personal end-of-life concerns. It is important for mental health professionals to not only be aware of the extent of trauma that can be experienced by elders suffering spousal loss, but also to be conscious of the existential concerns that may become more acute within this circumstance. This qualitative clinical case study examined the effectiveness of existential art therapy with a seventy-three year old male suffering from spousal loss within the past year. The client took part in eight consecutive weekly sessions, with each session utilizing an art therapy task designed to highlight existential concepts. All sessions were completed in his personal home. Existential themes, as well as themes unique to the client’s phenomenological experience, were observed. Results supported the occurrence of existential factors and questioning in elders suffering from spousal loss, and validated that all individuals grieve uniquely, suggesting the grief process is subjective in nature. Implications for future study included the accessibility of in-home care, support for existential awareness in mental health care providers, and new ideas for art therapy tasks that may work well within this population.