mental health

There is no doubt that the changes inflicted upon us by this worldwide pandemic have caused an increase in the number of people who are struggling with their mental health.  And many people are turning to the creative arts as a way to cope.  Whether it’s visual arts, dance, creative writing, or music, “art has...

This past weekend, I attended the Music Therapy Association of Ontario’s annual conference in my beautiful hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. I was honoured to have received the MTAO’s bursary, covering the cost of registration for the conference.  And now I want to share with all of you, everything that I learned and discovered! The first...

Back in September, I completed my application to the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Finally last week I heard back from them saying that my application has been accepted and I can use the title Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)! Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what this really means.  Basically it means that I can practice...

The other instrument that was recently given to me as a gift is a singing bowl.  The singing bowl descends from the Chinese standing bell, which was made of bronze and struck with a mallet.  The name’s reference to the instrument’s ability to “sing” comes from the method of playing it which involves rotating a...

I recently finished reading a very sweet novel in which the main character who, although undiagnosed, demonstrates several symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome.  He is a brilliant geneticist and professor at a prestigious university in Australia.  At the beginning of the book, he is asked by his friend and colleague to give a presentation on the...

Song-writing is a popular intervention in music therapy and can be adapted to work in a wide range of populations.  Let me tell you about some of the variations, how they work, and how they help. Lyric substitution: This version of the song-writing intervention is the most accessible and the most flexible.  Lyric substitution involves...

This is the final post in a series of blog posts about my learning at the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada's conference last weekend.  If you have followed along for the week, to you I say THANK YOU! If this is the first post you've read, I hope your curiosity will be piqued enough to...

Today's post serves as a summary of the second breakout session I attended at the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada's conference.  I am thrilled to be able to share this with you, I hope you enjoy! Breakout session #2"Self-Regulation and ADHD: From Chaos to Smoother Sailing" By Dr. Megan Smith In this presentation, I learned...

This is the second of four blog posts in which I am sharing with you some of my learnings from the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada's conference.  I hope you find it as interesting as I do! Breakout session #1"Living with ADHD: Can Self-Awareness set you free?" By Laura MacNiven and Dr. Anne Bailey The...

This past Saturday, I attended a conference hosted by the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada.  This conference gave me the opportunity to learn about ADHD and how it affects all aspects of a person’s life.  I’d love to give you some of my take-aways from each of the presentations I attended. Follow my blog over...