"Pat, what do you dream about?"

"I like to dream about warm weather."

It is the job of art therapist Diane Goergen to encourage people to put their feelings on paper. What is drawn often goes deeper than what is said.

"But down here is my mom and Uncle Bowie. And art isn't always pretty."

Pat Roberts lost both of them in head-on crashes with drunk drivers.

"It's very personal," said Diane. "It's a very intimate conversation."

Art therapy has been proven to relieve depression and anxiety. Two things that often come from a drastic change in someone's life.

"I always dream about my husband and the good times we had," said resident Connie Coppola. "And especially that we had just finished our 50th wedding anniversary."

The encouragement to create unearthed solace and strength for Coppola.

"It makes me very relaxed. I was in very bad shape before I started. I couldn't stand another year of it and I've been here four years."

Art therapy leads to budding artists

The day to day could become quite routine living in a nursing care facility. Then, something like art therapy offers residents like those at Hill Haven, a chance to break away.

"They look forward to her visits when before they never looked forward to anything. And they look forward to her coming. It really has made a difference in their lives."

Art therapy can uncover hidden passion and hidden talent. Residents Elijah Williams and June Tenney were winners in a state art competition.

Diane said as we get older our cognitive abilities may begin to slip. But our emotional, creative and artistic selves start to bloom.

"So for the elders here it gives them a chance to do something new and exciting using that part of the brain that is still very active. The right brain. The right brain rules."

"And we always like to clap for each other at the end, right, because we do a wonderful job here."