Therapists’ perspectives on phototherapy with older women: Exploring embodied self-representations in aging

Phototherapy is a therapeutic approach in which trained therapists use photographs and photography to facilitate psychological growth and therapeutic change. This study explored how therapists apply phototherapy with older women, and focuses on techniques that address the aging female body. Because gendered ageism, i.e., the intersection of ageism and gender bias, shapes women’s embodied experiences of aging, this study examined the core processes and phototherapy techniques that creative arts therapists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers implement with aging women. Sixteen international professionals working with aging women through phototherapy techniques were interviewed, and the resulting data were then analyzed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis . Four themes were generated: (1) photography as a medium for the visibility and recognition of the aging female body; (2) visual metaphors and symbols as methods to explore the aging body; (3) agency through photography engagement; and (4) confronting ageism in photographic representations of the aging body. Together, the findings highlight the potential of phototherapy to foster visibility, recognition, and agency in relation to the embodied experiences of older women. By emphasizing the continuum of clients’ responses, the findings highlight the importance of client-led therapeutic approaches. When thoughtfully adapted to individual needs, phototherapy can offer mental health practitioners a valuable tool to support older women in exploring identity and embodiment in later life.