Our projects

Located in Montreal, the Association québécoise des personnes aphasiques (AQPA) offers support and services to people with aphasia, and also to their caregivers through the Service d’aide aux proches d’une personne aphasique (SAPPA).

With the pilot project (September 2023 - March 2024), the organization could witness the benefits of music therapy for dyads composed of persons with aphasia and their caregivers. Since April 2024, music therapy has been integrated in their offer of services for caregivers, thanks to their successful work to obtain the necessary funding. 

A speech therapist from AQPA and a music therapist from the Institute work as a team, and use music to provide moments of well being and sharing, of verbal and nonverbal communication, of listening and support.  The sessions are held in person, at the Institute, on a weekly basis. 

 

Located in Montreal, the Association québécoise des personnes aphasiques (AQPA) offers support and services to people with aphasia, and also to their caregivers through the Service d’aide aux proches d’une personne aphasique (SAPPA).

After hearing an enthusiastic testimony from a caregiver having benefited from music therapy services offered by the Institute, discussions led to a partnership between the 2 entities, and to the development of this pilot project.  Since September 2023, group sessions have been offered in person, at the Institute, to dyads composed of persons with aphasia and their caregivers, in addition to online sessions devoted only to the caregivers. In the context of this project, a speech therapist and a music therapist work as a team and use music to provide moments of well being and sharing, of verbal and nonverbal communication, of listening and support. 

Offered to a limited number of participants, and for a period of 8 months, the objective of a pilot project is to give them the opportunity to experiment music therapy “hands on”, which provided AQPA concrete information to evaluate its potential benefits. 

It was such a positive experience that they included a special report and testimonials about this project in their 2023-2024 Annual Report, that you can read (in French) here.

This project represents a 2nd collaboration with Hay Doun.  In the context of a series of Wellbeing Workshops through the Arts, a music therapy discovery session was offered to a group of children and their parents.  They participated in a variety of musical activities, guided by Maryse Trottier, certified music therapist.  The main goals were to give them an opportunity to express themselves, socialize and share relaxing and fun moments, thanks to the music.

La Maison Bleue’s mission is to reduce social inequalities by helping pregnant women living in vulnerable situations. They promote and foster the development of small children, from the mother’s womb until the age of 5. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute reached out to La Maison Bleue to propose a pilot project offering free online music therapy services. Even though potential challenges like internet access and technical issues might have limited participation, the experience has  proven to be a success. It has helped participants see the beneficial impact of music therapy, opening the door to future projects when in-person services are once again available.
 

Autisme Montréal is a non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as those of their family members.

In July 2020, the Institute concluded a partnership with Autisme Montréal, launching its 1st pilot project with free online music therapy services, offered to autistic children, adolescents and adults. Two music therapists from the Institute provided individual music therapy sessions, on a weekly basis, one based in Montreal, the other one in the area of Quebec city. Starting in May 2022, participants from the Montreal area were given the choice to continue online, or come to the Institute.

In August 2023, the pilot project ended when Autisme Montréal could not obtain funds to sustain this new service - an important challenge for many non-profit organizations. Individual sessions continue to be offered online, if the participant is able to cover the costs.

Autisme Montréal is a non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as those of their family members.

During the COVID19 pandemic, the Institute developed a partnership with Autisme Montréal and launched its 1st pilot project with free online music therapy services, offered to autistic children, adolescents and adults. Two music therapists from the Institute provided individual music therapy sessions, on a weekly basis; their clients showed a   sustained  participation, confirming the importance and positive impact of those services.  Starting in May 2022, the option of in-person services was proposed: some participants then chose to come to the Institute to continue their sessions, while others preferred to continue with online services, a clear indication of the added value of the flexibility offered by hybrid services.

During the last phase of the project, a minimal financial contribution has been requested to the participants, and they respected very well the new financial modalities put in place. 

This pilot project ended in August 2023.  It has been a rewarding collaboration, and we are pleased to share the letter of appreciation (in French) that we have received form Autisme Montréal. 

In line with its mission of raising knowledge and understanding about music therapy, the Institute has developed an participative workshop with the objective of demystifying music therapy.  Lasting 90 minutes, the workshop has 3 parts: after a short introduction about music therapy, the group is invited to participate in musical activities inspired from group music therapy, and to discover the literature/research that supports the use of these types of interventions with various populations.

The contents of each workshop is adapted in relation to the profile of the participants, the objectives to be reached, and the context in which music therapy could apply to their clientele.

To see a more detailed description (in French), click here.

In December 2020, the Institute signed an agreement with the Canadian Association of Music Therapists (CAMT), the national professional association to which all certified music therapists must belong, to offer our workshop to its members across Canada.  

This partnership meant that we could reach out to participants all across the country. As of June 2021, more than 60 music therapists have been able to benefit from the Institute’s workshop, helping their transition to an online environment.
 

In 2019, the Institute concluded an agreement, renewable on a yearly basis, with the Association québécoise de musicothérapie (AQM), who becomes our first institutional member.  Under the terms of this agreement, they can have access to our premises for their Board meetings and other administrative reunions.  Additional specific agreements can also be concluded to hold educational workshops and other activities offered to its members.