Month: September 2024

In an interview with Monaco Life‘s Niki Borisova, Anna Maria Benedetti, the co-founder of the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association, shares her views on art as therapy and spoke of how her association’s innovative and creative programmes are transforming mental health support at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace.

Since its inception, the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association, a Monaco-based organisation, has established itself as a strong advocate for mental health support in the Principality and further afield. Its founders, Anna Maria and her husband Eugenio Benedetti, are dedicated to promoting the study of and research into psychotherapy, with a particular focus on art therapy.

The association works closely with the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace (CHPG) to offer enhanced and alternative therapy for people suffering from mental health issues, notably through its art programmes, and runs workshops in the hospital’s Psychiatry Department that encourage artistic creation as a form of emotional and psychological support.

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Benedetti’s involvement in art therapy is closely tied to her family’s legacy. The field was pioneered by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, who taught her brother-in-law, Professor Gaetano Benedetti. ‘Red Book’, a collection of Jung’s studies and observations from between 1914 and 1930, serves as a critical reference for those in art therapy, and she shares how both Jung and her brother-in-law regarded preventive therapy for psychoses, particularly among young people, as essential.

This approach was somewhat overlooked in the past, but Benedetti has noticed a shift in perspective in recent years.

“Today, this form of prevention has become a reality,” she says. “Preventing mental disorders is the best form of therapy.”

Collective healing through art therapy

In 2018, the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association formally partnered with CHPG’s Unité de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale (UPPM). This collaboration has facilitated the integration of art therapy workshops within the hospital’s psychiatric unit, enabling patients to express themselves and process their emotions through artistic creation. Over the years, the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association has consistently supported the UPPM, which serves approximately 100 patients daily. Recently, this partnership agreement was renewed for an additional two years.

Benedetti tells Monaco Life, “The art therapy for patients at the UPPM is particularly effective because it treats the patients not only as single individuals, but also within a group following their hospital stay.”

At the UPPM, a dedicated team of doctors and nurses, supported by the association, engages patients through various art forms, such as drawing, sculpture, painting and theatre. This artistic stimulation aids in their recovery and creates a sense of community among participants. The selection of creative activities is guided by the therapeutic needs of the patients and their individual preferences.

Benedetti explains, “We offer models for patients to copy or interpret. This is the hard work of art therapists, and the more they meet patients, the more positive feedback they receive.”

The association is always open to new ideas and concepts, with Benedetti revealing, “We aim to constantly improve and extend the therapies to other sectors as well, such as gymnastics and music, for the well-being of Monaco residents dealing with stabilised psychiatric conditions.”

In addition to these local efforts, the association has also participated in a number of international events with the goal of gaining fresh and valuable insights into art therapy across different cultural contexts. For example, the association facilitated the participation of a CHPG delegation, led by Dr. Valerie Aubin, at the International Congress of Art Therapy for Psychoses (ISPS) in Perugia, Italy in September 2022.

A significant milestone for the association came in 2021, when the Monaco Government issued a commemorative stamp honouring the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association and Carl Gustav Jung. The tribute marked 60 years since the passing of the celebrated psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

“We were delighted to pay tribute to the founder of psychoanalysis and to the memory of Professor Gaetano Benedetti, who was a faithful disciple of Jung’s therapies,” says Benedetti.

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Photos supplied by the Eugenio Benedetti-Gaglio Benevolent Association