A TRAILBLAZING GP practice is encouraging people to use music to improve their mental health.

The Brighton Healing and Wellbeing Centre (BHWC) has set up a funding page to help keep their Healing Expressive and Recovery Arts (HERA) project alive.

HERA brings together art therapy and healing methods with the aim of providing art activities to those who may have become isolated due to health issues.

The aim of these projects is to enable people to find ways to better their health without the use of medicines.

Dr Laura Marshall-Andrews, of the BHWC, says that whilst medication has its place, the types of therapies the centre runs help tackle the causes of mental health issues.

Dr Marshall-Andrews said: “One of the things you hear a lot, being a doctor, with people who are going through mental health problems, are the common themes; isolation, loneliness, lack of self-esteem.

“So what I think these projects do is really get to the heart of that. So rather than medicate those things – which has its place – it’s trying to help people improve their lives.”

According to HERA, 100 per cent of their singing group participants reported increased wellbeing after attending sessions.It is felt that this proves they are doing something right.

Dr Marshall-Andrews added: “I’ve never had 100 per cent of people get better from anti-depressants so I think it’s a wonderful thing to do.

“What we’ve noticed is that it doesn’t just help the patients, it’s really helped our staff. We’ve got doctors wanting to work for us when

there’s a huge recruitment problem across the city.”

At first it was down to Dr Marshall-Andrews to call on friends to volunteer to head up the classes but said that, once they proved popular, more and more people came to her in order to offer their services.

Dr Marshall-Andrews added that she believes the safety that patients feel is crucial to the success of the project.

She added: “The groups work because the people who run them are very open. It’s a very safe space in the practice and it’s supported by the doctors and nurses here.

“I think that enables people to feel safe and supported and to experience these things.”

Despite the success the BHWC has had tackling mental health issues in the city, Dr Marshall-Andrews still believes there is a stigma surrounding mental health illness.

She said: “I think the difficulty with mental health is that it can be confused with your character. People feel that somehow, they’re not strong enough or it’s a reflection on them as a person, which you don’t feel if you have a physical illness.

“It’s much, much better than it was but it’s still a really difficult thing for people to admit or realise.

The crowdfunding campaign for HERA ends of July 3. When last checked their total stood at just over £60,000 pounds, with another £40,000 needed in 13 days.

To donate towards the project visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hera