As part of the Rendez-vous fransaskois, the afternoon of Saturday, November 5, was an opportunity to participate in various workshops on the topic of mental health. Two of them highlighted the beneficial relationship between mental health and art.
The workshop the music and you offered by Réseau Santé en français de la Saskatchewan (RSFS) and led by Frédérique Baudemont, RSFS Executive Director, and Sandra St-Laurent of Health Community Partnership – Yukon. About fifty onlookers responded to the invitation.
“This is the first time I have given this workshop,” said Frédérique Baudemont, director general of the RSFS. You are like guinea pigs! »
This is because the main topic of the workshop, music therapy, is a fairly new discipline. A material that certified music therapists (MTA) use as part of a therapeutic approach to support the development, health and well-being of their patients.
Sitting in a circle, the workshop participants were able to experience the discovery of the other through musical instruments. A unique opportunity to learn more about music therapy and its benefits.
“What is the first sound you remember? “Asked the host at the opening. Except for a few, most of the participants remembered melodies or songs.
The director of the SFSR invited them to bring musical instruments which were presented at an adjoining table. The apprentice musicians tried some experiments, in particular following the rhythm given by a person in the center of the circle.
According to the facilitator, the purpose of these steps is to establish or re-establish channels of communication with oneself and with others. A practice that would be of great help in a process of social reintegration.
art therapy
For its part, the workshop given by the writer and art therapist David Baudemont in an adjoining room explored the fundamentals of art therapy. The primary objective of this discipline is to allow the patient to externalize what may be buried in his unconscious. The focus is then oriented towards the ability to express oneself through a process of creating images.
During this 1.5-hour workshop, participants participated in three different practices and discussion spaces on the basics of art therapy. Topics covered included the limits of interpretation, the power of projecting oneself into the image, and the dynamic properties of narrative fiction.
53