Our traditional indigenous songs, dance, prose, and art will provide another framework for helping young people heal.  Healing art forms has many benefits for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health.  

Delivery

A critical goal of Nimkee’s Healing arts program is to help heal the spirit. Just like traditional talk therapy, our art therapy will center on unique personal experiences- by focusing on one’s own experience and gifts alongside the exploration of meaning and clarity within the various art forms.

Engaging in various forms of art in a fun, safe, secure way to explore self, family, community, and the world is also important in developing identity, relationships, and connections.

Youth will have the opportunity to physically CREATE.  Through the process of creating, youth can express themselves through colours, nature, shapes, craftwork, and dance to name a few.  Youth will be encouraged to express mental and emotional feelings of joy and laughter, isolation, and pain in other forms than traditional talk therapy.  In a sense, making meaning and expression from art in a way that highlights everyone’s gifts – that’s our goal.

Benefits

We will make sure our healing arts therapy is empowerment-based, strengths-focused, and people-centered. For indigenous youth, the benefits are immense, including:

• Ability to communicate without words
• Connecting to ancient forms of indigenous art
• Recovering emotions that may be deep-rooted
• Envisioning a journey and watching it unfold
• Greater self-awareness and understanding
• Feeling more connected to the world through the use of all senses
• Supports and hones natural abilities and creativity