Norshel Centre supports adults with physical and developmental disabilities.

Music Therapy Program

Music therapy is the skilful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development (Canadian Association for Music Therapy Annual General Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 6, 1994).

Music therapy programming at Norshel includes a choir, a group that learns sign language to songs, a movement group, adapted music lesions, and individualized sessions. Each session, whether it is in a group setting or one-on-one, is goal oriented. Sample goals include: to increase appropriate social skills, to reduce anxiety, to increase independence, to experience opportunities for emotional expression, to improve motor coordination, to increase self-esteem, and to have fun! There’s no need to have musical talent to receive the benefits of music therapy!