​The After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN) is a non-profit organization in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. Our mandate is to empower and improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities affected by trauma through therapeutic counselling, emotional support, education and resources.
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Our vision is: To improve the lives, well-being and functioning of individuals, families and communities affected by trauma so we can live in a world where individuals affected by trauma live an empowered life to reach their fullest potential.

​What we do:

• We provide our services and supports free of charge to all genders,
• We offer a Safe Space to all genders, backgrounds and cultures,
• 85% of our client base has experienced sexualized violence, trauma and abuse (including sexual trafficking and exploitation),
• We provide support and accompaniment to police, hospital and/or court,
• The age range for individuals accessing our services range from 13 to 74 years old,
• We offer a weekly youth group to vulnerable youth who have experienced trauma,
• We offer a weekly online discussion forum called MAAT (Music & Art After Trauma) where we discuss a topic relating to trauma, mental health and wellness combined with a music and/or art component,
• Individuals accessing our services and appointments has tripled over the past year,
• We provide educational presentations and capacity building sessions around trauma, mental health, wellness, healthy relationships, trauma-informed practices/care and more,
• We have a YouTube channel where we are building a database of video resources,
• We do not have any core funding from provincial or federal government for operational expenses (we are working on trying to establish this)

​What we need:

• As a result of outgrowing our current office space, we need to relocate to a larger office space which means our rent expense will increase,
• Since we do not have core funding for our operational expenses (rent, phone, internet, insurance, office supplies), we are making a plea to individuals, community members and businesses to help support us by making a financial donation,
• We are hoping to raise funds to assist with our operational expenses for one year (approximately $10 000)

 
With your kind and generous support, we can achieve this goal!
 
Please help and empower us so we can continue to empower others! We need your financial support and donation to allow us to continue to offer our essential service to individuals, families and communities.
 
Please help us spread the word and share this with your networks.

Much heartfelt thanks and gratitude!

Donations can be made on our Go Fund Me page
 
Email: info@atenns.ca
Facebook: After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN)
YouTube: After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN)

Announcement & Invitation

The After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN) is thrilled to announce that they will be hosting their FIRST online MAAT (Music & Art After Trauma) session on April 7th at 6pm via Zoom!

Project MAAT is a weekly online edutainment forum hosted by ATEN featuring education on trauma, mental health and other related topics combined with a music and/or art element.

The anticipated impact of this project is to make a positive difference in the lives of those individuals, families and communities living with the negative impact of trauma and mental illness.

Zoom meeting links will be posted on our Facebook page (After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN)). However, if you are interested in receiving the MAAT Zoom link each week via email, we invite you to please fill out the subscription form at the end of this message or send an email to info@atenns.ca with your name to be included on our email subscription list.

We are also seeking diverse artists (of various mediums) and musicians to join us for a guest appearance on MAAT. If you would be interested in joining us for a session, we invite you to contact us by email at info@atenns.ca with the subject line “Guest” along with your name, contact info and a little bit about yourself.

We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia for their generous funding and support for Project MAAT.

To learn more about ATEN visit www.atenns.ca.

We look forward to hearing from you.
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Have an empowered day!

We are so excited to announce that ATEN was approved for full funding for Project MAAT (Music & Art After Trauma) by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia!

We are overwhelmed with honor and excitement to have the support and trust from the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia in our ability to facilitate and succeed with this important project. We are immensely grateful to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia staff and donors for making this possible and helping change the way people think.

Project MAAT is an hour-long online program hosted by Margaret Mauger and Vida Woodworth that features educational discussions about trauma, mental health and other related topics, combined with a music and art component.

MAAT was created to be an outlet, resource and support to individuals who have experienced trauma and for those who support them. We aim to offer a safe space for people to learn about sensitive and sometimes difficult topics while gaining the therapeutic benefits of music and art.

​More details to come...

Project MAAT (Music & Art After Trauma) is an hour-long online program hosted by Margaret Mauger and Vida Woodworth from the After Trauma Empowerment Network that features educational discussions about trauma and other related topics, with a music and art component.

MAAT was created to be an outlet, resource and support to individuals who have experienced trauma and for those who support them. We aim to offer a safe space for people to learn about sensitive and sometimes difficult topics while gaining the therapeutic benefits of music and art.

Beginning in April 2021 (date to be announced) each weekly episode will feature a topic of discussion with a guest musical performance and art display/discussion.
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Topics of discussion will range and vary, and will include such areas as trauma, types of trauma, symptoms of trauma, violence, human trafficking, exploitation, triggers and flashbacks, coping strategies, gender and sexuality, mindfulness, boundaries, self-care, healthy/unhealthy relationships, mental health, etc....

We invite and welcome people to email questions, comments and/or topics they would like us to highlight and explore to info@atenns.ca.

Research has repeatedly indicated the many amazing benefits of music (the universal language) and art on body, mind, and overall well-being.

• Reduces stress
• Outlet for emotions
• Increase body’s production of antibody immunoglobulin
• Soothes and comforts
• Reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol
• Good for your heart (blood flows more easily)
• Elevates mood (increases production of dopamine)
• Relieves symptoms of depression
• Eases and manages pain
• Helps to regulate emotions
• Improves memory
• Helps with expressing feelings like fear, loneliness and anger
• Improves cognition
• Helps children with autism (social response, communication skills and attention skills)
• Connects us (social connectedness)
• Can lead to better learning
• Literally changes the physical brain – triggers the release of several neurochemicals important for mental health (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, cortisol
• Entertaining
• Sources of pleasure/contentment
• Relaxes the mind
• Improves motivation and endurance
• Improves sleep
• Decreases fatigue
• Emotional and physiological regulation
• Emotional intelligence
• Stabilizing and grounding
  
• Reduces negative PTSD symptoms

"(Music therapy) can make the difference between withdrawal and awareness, between isolation and interaction, between chronic pain and comfort -- between demoralization and dignity."
Barbara Crowe (past president of the National Association for Music Therapy)
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“Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.”
Oliver Sacks, best-selling author and professor of neurology at NYU School Of Medicine

"Art is not always about pretty things. It's about who we are, what happened to us,
​and how are lives are affected." 
Elizabeth Broun, Artwell Art Therapy

More details to come soon ...

Thanks & Gratitude

More details to come...

The After Trauma Empowerment Network (ATEN) is kindly asking artists to create and donate a piece of artwork (painting, drawing, photo, digital) that captures and conveys your message of hope and encouragement to those who have experienced trauma. What is your message of hope & encouragement?

From the donated artwork we will create a 2022 Kindfulness Calendar to be used as a fundraiser for ATEN. We also will host an auction of the donated pieces as another fundraiser.

We encourage submissions from all cultures, genders, backgrounds, age, ability and mediums.

One submission per artist.

All entries must be the artist’s original, unpublished and previously unproduced work.

Using test/typography is allowed.

Picture size requirements: Minimum 8”x 8” – Maximum 12”x 12”. If you are not submitting your original work please submit a good quality photo (JPG, PNG or PDF) that is no larger than 2MB.

What’s in it for you: Be part of an important cause, help raise awareness about trauma, share your message of hope and encouragement, inspire someone, lift someone’s day, share your talent with others, gain exposure of your work, be published, and help raise funds to support those in the community who have experienced trauma.

We will be accepting artwork until May 31, 2021 (12:00am). We anticipate having the calendar ready for purchase by September 2021.

Remember to sign or initial your artwork.

Email submissions and questions to info@atenns.ca. Call 902-266-9763 to make arrangements if you are submitting an original piece of work.

​Please include with your submission:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email:
Title of Work:

We are reaching out to ask community members and Nova Scotians to submit a letter of support for an initiative called Project MAAT (Music & Art After Trauma) that we are currently working on. We require letters of support to accompany our funding application to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.

With great enthusiasm and excitement, Project MAAT will be a weekly online discussion forum featuring education (on trauma and mental health/illness), a topic for discussion (with a guest) combined with a music and/or art component.
 
We believe this is a unique and innovative way to reach the most amount of people given the current situation with the COVID 19 pandemic and social restrictions. Research has indicated the power of connection, music and art for people who are living with mental illness and trauma (this is evidence-based). We believe this project will be therapeutically beneficial for individuals and families living with the negative impact of trauma and mental illness since it will help with stress, anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, cognitive difficulties, reducing anxiety, reducing trauma symptoms, reducing sense of isolation, improving self-esteem and self-awareness, providing social connection and support, offer self-discovery, self-expression, and more. 

This forum will be hosted by Margaret Mauger (licensed therapist) and Vida Woodworth (Chairperson).

For your convenience, we have drafted a letter of support (file below) that you can simply print, sign, scan and email back to us. If you are an organization or business please consider using your letterhead. If you do not have a scanner please feel free to email a photo of your letter. Please add anything you like to the draft below or write your own letter of support if you prefer. We would greatly appreciate if you could please return your letter of support on or before January 20, 2021 to info@atenns.ca

Sincerest thanks and gratitude!

And the winner of the Nova Scotia Strong quilt is
Susan Harvey!
Congratulations!

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We would like to extend heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who supported our first fundraiser and purchased tickets - we could not have done this without you! Together we raised over $3000 to go toward ATEN service delivery and administrative expenses.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Stay tuned for our next quilt fundraiser.