Programs offered
At Upbeat Health and Wellbeing, we pride ourselves on the accessibility and power of our programs. We understand that each person that walks through the doors of our Community Hub has their own history and needs, which is why every person has a meeting with one of our lovely intake staff to understand how we can work towards meeting your goals through our programs. We have a range of individual and group offerings in a range of mediums to suit your needs. Every one is strengths-based, disability-friendly, trauma-informed, and celebrates uniqueness. We meet you where you are at.
Music Lessons
At UpBeat Health and Wellbeing we understand that different forms of creative expression allow individuals to access and understand their emotions and experiences in a way that may have not been possible otherwise. That is why we offer music lessons as a way to practice multiple different musical expression through traditional and eclectic instruments and as well as singing. We offer piano, guitar, base, percussion, and singing as our main forms that we provide, however we are open to individuals bringing their own instruments to jam with. In our music lessons you will have the chance to practice a range of songs and start to stretch your ability to create your own. Music is a form of storytelling and we want to offer every person the chance to own theirs.
Cooking Lessons
Learning life skills that allow for creative expression and sensory experiences is a great option for neurodiverse clients of all ages. Participants will get a chance to learn about nutrition, budgeting your grocery shopping, seasonal produce, expanding safe foods, and working with sensory needs all the while making a range of meals and baked goods. It is a communal and relaxed space that centres connectivity between participants and has time for a mixture of independent work and teamwork. We provide the kitchen, the food, and the tools needed. Each week will be different. This is one of our more expensive programs due to the food costs, but one definitely worth checking out! It is run by our talented staff, several of whom worked professionally as cooks and chefs.
Group Art Lessons with Licensed Art Therapist
Our Art Group Program is a fan-favourite at UpBeat Health and Wellbeing with many of our clients choosing to attend at our Community Hub weekly. Run by our Licensed Art Therapist on Tuesdays, the Art Group Program is a collaborative and community-focused event that supports everyone to try new art forms and further their capacity to express themselves in established mediums. We provide the paint, the paper, the collage material, the pencils, and any odd bits and bops that spark creative joy within people. Each week will be slightly different and there is something for everyone. Whether this is the first time you have done art in your lives, or if you are a professional artist, you will fall in love with this program and find community with the wonderful people it attracts. Art allows people to feel their emotions in a different way and express them in the abstract or realistic – the possibilities are endless. Express yourself, learn more about yourself, and meet new friends from 12pm – 4pm every Tuesday.
Self Care Saturday
A new edition to our program list, Self-Care Saturday’s are finally here after many requests! They are hosted at our Community Hub from 10am – 2pm every week and will always be slightly different but always reliably relaxing. Leave recharged and refreshed every week with increased skills on how to take care of yourself and valuing doing so a little more every time. Self-Care Saturday’s include many elements including: cooking themed lunches, reading and storytelling, home-based spas, dancing and movement, music making, and more. You are worthy of self-kindness, and this day is here to create space for you to feel that truth. Never underestimate the power of softness and your ability to make someone else smile.
Program Inquiery
UpBeat Health and Wellbeing is committed to providing enriching programs to build resilience, social skills, nurture creative expression, connect people with likeminded community, and create space for program participants to enter a ‘flow’ state. A flow state has been identified by recent research literature as a large protective factor against a range of mental health difficulties including mood disorders. It is a form of positive psychology that describes the state people enter when they are fully engrossed in the activities they are doing. It is associated with a sense of ecstasy, focus, self-belief, and self-purpose or passion and can only arise for challenging tasks that are just within an individual’s capacity. Our programs are built with this in mind. Each program will expand to include an option for group or individual participation and different age groups.
Each program will be advertised on our website and in the local community through noticeboards, schools, and through local mental health businesses who feel their clients may benefit. Different models will exist for different programs with an emphasis on evening or weekend classes to suit the school and work week. Some with be term based where participants commit to 10-12 classes, while others will be drop-in, or intensive programs for school holidays.