On February 7, 2025, a unique lecture by Professor Nigel Osborne was held at the Ushynsky University Mental Health Center, dedicated to the use of art and music to work with trauma. Professor Nigel Osborne is a well-known British composer, art therapist and researcher in the field of neuropsychology of art. He has developed innovative art therapy techniques that are used to work with people who have experienced traumatic events, including military conflicts. His approaches have been successfully implemented in rehabilitation programs in Bosnia, Georgia, the Middle East, India, and Ukraine.
Professor Osborne is the founder of Art Therapy Force, an international initiative that brings together specialists in psychology, culture and art therapy to support people affected by war. In Ukraine, he collaborated with the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and the Kharkiv National University of Arts, where he conducted lectures and practical classes in art therapy.
What was the lecture about?
• The relationship between art, music and bodily processes in overcoming trauma.
• Biological, psychological and social aspects of traumatic experiences.
• Research on the impact of art on the recovery of mental health.
• Methods of using music and art therapy to support people who have experienced crisis situations.
The meeting was organized for teachers and students of the Faculty of Music and Choreography n, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, psychologists, social workers, mental health specialists and artists.
The educational programs of the Faculty of Music and Choreography already include art therapy components, and cooperation with Art Therapy Force opens up new opportunities for integrating art into psychological support.
The meeting was also attended by:
• Representative of the Art Therapy Force company Masha Slyot, psychologist, art therapist, graduate of Ushynsky University and the Odesa Academy of Music and the University of Vienna.
• Graduates of the Faculty of Music and Choreography.
• Teachers of art schools and representatives of universities, in particular the National University "Odesa Polytechnic".
• A representative of "Odessa Polytechnic", who shared her experience of cooperation with Nigel Osborne.
We thank the organizers of the meeting - Professor Olena Rebrova and the Director of the Center for Mental Health Andrii Bortov.
We hope for new productive events at the Center for Mental Health.