Adult Mental Health Programs & Support Services

These programs and services are provided for those who are 16 years and older:

Intake & Referrals
Case Management
Alternative Healing
Support Group
Skills Building
Community Outreach
Psychiatric Consultation Program
Family Support
Anti Racism/Ant-Oppression Training
Community Based Research

 

Alternative Healing

Communities of color have been using many forms of traditional healing but they usually don’t have access to these under the health system in Ontario. The centre provides a holistic approach to mental health care which addresses body-mind and spirit. Creative expressions and art therapy programs provide participants the opportunity to express inherent practices including the expression of their heritage.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Through participation in this program, clients experience relief from pain, insomnia, other physical ailments and chronic conditions. There is an increase in energy and client feel more relaxed. Counseling is focused on lifestyle, changes in diet, sleeping habits, relationships with family, friends and the community.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda, the “science of life” or longevity, is the holistic alternative science from India and is more than 5,000 years old. It is believed to be the oldest science in existence, forming the foundation of all others. The secret of Ayurveda’s individualized healing method was preserved in India, whereas it has been lost or superseded in other cultures. (Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha)

Art Therapy

The weekly group is an opportunity for people to connect, gain a sense of independence and learn about themselves through creating art and having some fun! Using many mediums including painting, drawing, collage, sculpture and mixed media, clients are encouraged to express themselves, share their stories and get in touch with their inner artist.

The weekly art therapy group has been an integral part of Across Boundaries' holistic approach to mental health care. Since its inception 8 years ago, the group has served many members in a safe and non-threatening group environment with its friendly and accepting members and art therapists.

As an alternative to traditional verbally oriented therapy, art therapy uses art media such as drawing, painting, scrupling, and other creative art projects to facilitate expression of feelings and thoughts that might be hidden or difficult for members to express verbally. We also believe and have experienced that the art making process is inherently therapeutic and the product is a powerful reminder and witness to one's personal growth, progress and recovery.

Participants in the art therapy group can experience through the group process 7 major benefits: Recreation, Relaxation, Release of stress, Relating to self and others, Revealing of feelings and thoughts, Recovery of illness and Re-discovery of joy and hope. With no prior artistic skills required, participants can feel free to pick up a crayon or a paintbrush to engage themselves in the creative process that naturally relaxes people. It is also a healthy recreation that helps relieve anxiety and focus one's energy on the positive.

As well mental health, especially for people from racialized communities facing oppression due to racism or the stigma associated with the illness itself, cannot be achieved in a vacuum. The art therapy group appreciates and values the individuality (as each of us is like an original artwork) and the diversity (as expressed in the whole array of artwork) in the rich context of our multi-cultural community. It is within this nourishing and accepting boundary that our participants are encouraged and challenged to take risks and grow through artistic expression.

Like other helping professions, the joy of art therapy is in seeing people grow individually and as a group. Members have expressed in their drawings that Across Boundaries feels like a home to them, a friendly and helping "healthy" place where mental health is aptly represented by a pencil--the ability not only to write and to draw but to create and communicate one's meaning in life.

Musical Expression

As part of the holistic healing process, this weekly session is designed to take advantage of the innate tendencies of human beings to make and appreciate music at their own developmental levels. Across Boundaries believes that all individuals regardless of age or musical background have a basic capacity for musical expression and appreciation. This basic capacity does not require the special talents or extensive training that highly accomplished musicians have but rather stems from general learning’s that occur during normal process of human development. This basic or normal capacity for music includes the potential for learning to: sing, play simple instruments, participating in sing-alongs, participating in a group musical show and so forth. Musical expression brings about a spiritual experience which helps improve ones quality of life and feeling of well-being.

Creative Expressions
Theatre Empowerment Workshops

Popular Theatre is a vehicle for social change and aims to raise awareness, and explore issues in creative and exciting ways. It is a participatory method of teaching and learning and encourages people to develop their own ideas. It gives value to the opinions and knowledge that we each have ourselves and draws on our own experience. It moves us from problems to solutions and ACTION.

The focus of the Creative Expressions workshop is on empowerment. Each participant works at their own pace, and on their own issues. The group is respectful and supportive of one another. Through theatre, movement, dance, singing, affirmations and creative writing, participants explore their own beliefs, identity and issues.

The group provides opportunities for: developing creative skills to heal the body, mind and soul; improving interaction with others in a group setting; learning to express emotions through both verbal and nonverbal expressions; learning to explore sensitive issues through theatre and dance; learning to take risks and move past fears; learning basic theatre skills such as character and script development; participating in performances and showcasing one’s creativity and sharing with the larger community one’s experience in the program and personal process, if so willing.

 “The most rewarding aspect to my work at Across Boundaries, are the changes I witness in people over the course of their attendance in the program. Many participants have no previous experience of theatre and are reserved when they join the program. After some time, their confidence increases, their self-esteem boosts and with the learning of new skills, they become quite successful not only in the tools of Popular Theatre, but in taking risks, trying something new or as simply as being the first to speak in the group” . Shanti Dhoré, Previous Facilitator

In the Creative Expressions workshops, we deal with many issues such as mental health; racial, cultural and religious stereotyping and oppression; sexual/physical/mental/emotional and spiritual abuse; and the intense emotional connections to these topics. Creative Expressions continues to be a well-enjoyed, successful and powerful program at Across Boundaries.

Yoga

This program focuses on learning stress management skills and in improving concentration and mental alertness.  Yoga is a form of therapy which brings a deeper awareness and a more intimate relation with the self. It brings awareness of the body through breathing techniques.  Yoga postures are especially helpful in reversing the effects of high stress. By relaxing the nervous system through stretching, holding and breathing, the immune system works more effectively and the hormonal system becomes more balanced. Also, the circulation is improved.