HAPPY FEET--Healing Through Dance!

When The Words Are Not Enough

Through the years, such psychotherapeutic and art-based techniques as music, painting, drama and dance have arisen as alternatives to facilitate healing centred counseling.  These psychotherapeutic techniques have been the most versatile and diverse in its application since it can be used with small children who are unable to express feelings verbally, with adolescents who have buried their most painful memories and with the young adults who may be too lonely, depressed or confused to talk about their traumatic experiences. 

These multi faceted and inherent art forms have many features promoting a body-mind-spirit connection, not only for therapy but also in daily living. Active and creative facilitation of these art forms improves physical fitness, mental balance & self-confidence, refines the energy levels, bringing-in the wellness in daily life and its practice. 

A practicing art based teacher or therapist in Dance, Drama, Music and Painting conducts the activity session.  Group counseling and individual counseling are provided.

"We dance when we are sad, we dance when we are angry, when we are happy. The body is used in every expression of emotion"--Makgathi Mokena (Fullbright Scholar, Learning dance Therapy)

Wings of Change—Counseling and Life Skill Lesson

A life skill session provides opportunities for developing a number of psycho-social skills that help children and young people to make healthy and safe decisions in daily living. It is developed to address the needs of children and plan skills for their well-being and progress.  It also protects and informs them on different risks and issues they face in their daily lives.  Life skills sessions and activities are selected from the wide range offered ie., hygiene-behaviour-communication-study skills-time management, to form a mini curriculum, at St. Catherine. Different issues like gender issues, cooperation, working in teams, friendship, and relationships are important and valued life skills.  The sessions help children to learn social skills and encourage children to support and help each other both in and outside the training sessions. Life skills are learnt over a period of time and activities need to be repeated, perhaps with variation to reduce monotony if skill building is really to take place.  The key is to make children to practice the skills which are learnt in a session to the real life situations.

Counseling session focuses on the issue that had come up in life skill sessions and the counsellor acts as a facilitator and helps or guides them in coping with their problems. As the children come from the background of trauma and pain group counselling helps them to relate with others, share their grief without getting inhibited and develop trust and support within themselves.  An individual counselling is a one to one relationship between a counsellor and the client, whereby the counsellor acts as a facilitator to help the client reach his/her goals through a healing process.  The focus will be on the issues and the deep emotional trauma of each individual.  The counsellor would help the client to ease the pain initially by building rapport and trust and later on with some behaviour or cognitive therapy. The child’s coping with academic, his/her relationship with the teachers and problems at living space (dorms or home) would also be dealt here.

Students as they progress are introduced to career guidance from grade seven. Career guidance plays an important role to help children to explore the possibilities, to develop skills to reach their career goals, introduce various career areas, discuss about the type of courses ie., academic or professional which they can complete through Age 22 Project or JO 20+ project.  The focus is to make students educated young citizens  who are responsible and employable.

Devti Singh joined St Catherine of Siena School and orphanage when she was just 6 years of age in 2003. Today, she is looking ahead with a brighter job with the Hotel Industry in the F & B section. She is happy that from an environment of poverty and no support which was not meant for her future, she got admission to a place where she received the support to make her a confident person who believed that she can pass any exams with hard work.  She was grateful that she got not just financial support but also the emotional support.  She was involved in Dance, Judo, Malkham and Capoeira to keep her body and mind in good spirits.  ‘The staff was very helpful to guide me with counselling, life skill session, career guidance so that I become socially and mentally fit.  I know my likes and dislikes and strength and weakness. I am happy that I am not forced to do something which I do not want but for supporting me with my decision. I thank St Catherine for changing my life for the best. With God and hard work nothing is impossible. We can make it possible!’

I had no idea about my future ambitions and how should I go about it’ says Nisha Patil about her transformation through various s programmes including Happy Feet: It helped me to deal with different kinds of situations in my life and took away my shyness and worries.  I became confident.  She currently working as a kindergarten teacher in a prominent Bandra School and is planning her wedding. Nisha participated in several confidence building internships at St Catherine’s before securing her job. “Through this programme, I have prepared myself for better things,’ she says.

Shivraj Diwakar says that after joining St Catherine he started taking interest in studies and thus followed his dreams and goals before reaching the peak of success and his strong desire to dance. Dance helped him to develop his skills, confidence, focus, inner strength mentally-physically-psychologically.  This helped him to get selected by the Prestigious Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company where he successfully passed the dance graduation. He is now a dancer, choreographer, sound editor and event director.

Key areas covered in Happy Feet Project

• Creative Classes in Dance, Capoeira, Drama, Music, Painting, Drumming.
• Life skill lessons to Develop Psycho-social Skills.
• Group and Individual Counseling.
• Peer Group Training.
• Responsible Relationships.
• In House and Public Presentations

Would you like to help us?

Below are the Bank Details:

For Donors from OUTSIDE INDIA:

Name of Account Holder :  WELFARE  SOCIETY FOR                           DESTITUTE CHILDREN

Name of Bank :     UNION  BANK OF INDIA

Branch :          Bandra Hill Road Branch

Account Number :    S.B A/C :  315602010004927

IFSC CODE :     UBIN0531561

SWIFT CODE  NO :   UBIN IN BB SZW

For Donors WITHIN INDIA:

Name of Account Holder :  WELFARE  SOCIETY FOR DESTITUTE CHILDREN

Name of Bank :  UNION  BANK OF INDIA

Branch :   Bandra Hill Road Branch

Account Number :   315602010018273

IFSC CODE :   UBIN0531561