Long before she began performing spoken word ‘slam’ poetry or writing articles for La Rotonde, uOttawa’s French student newspaper, Kady kept a diary as a child. She says having the space to write down her innermost thoughts helped her process her emotions and gain a better understanding of herself.
That personal experience, coupled with an awareness of how nurturing this habit led to writing stories, poetry and articles over the years, sparked her idea to establish Mots sur maux, a project to help others feel better and get to know themselves through journaling.
Working in partnership with the International University of Grand-Bassam, which runs annual summer camps that develop English-language, leadership and personal development skills in the Ivory Coast, Kady and eight other volunteers were trained by a clinical psychologist to lead Mots sur maux writing workshops in which over 100 youth aged between 10 and 20 participated.
Kady was conscious of the need to base the therapeutic benefits of writing on solid foundations. After delving into research surrounding therapeutic writing, she created her own guide for running the writing workshops. She also worked with clinical psychologists in Gatineau and the Ivory Coast and sought advice from University of Ottawa psychology professor Bégin Galarneau and doctoral students.
“Each workshop combines games, warm-up activities and two, themed-writing exercises prepared in advance: the present (what are you feeling right now), the past (understanding what made you) and the future (describing who you want to become). We alternate writing with activities that aim to keep young people engaged,” says Kady.
Many of the participating youth initially resisted writing or talking about their emotions.
“Some said they didn’t know what to write. Others, especially the boys, felt that talking about their emotions was not something they should do,” says Kady. “By reassuring them that their notebooks were private and nobody would read them, many started to let go. By the end of the workshops, we saw a real change. Many who had written barely a sentence at first were filling out page after page.”
“We also heard a lot of emotions come out during the workshops, although that needs to remain confidential to respect our agreements with participants.”
A second phase of the project involves the launch of an online Mots sur maux platform to share content about well-being, emotions and personal development, due to go live in October.
Course credits for developing a personal passion
Kady says she was determined to develop the Mots sur maux concept this summer, but she also had to take courses full time as part of her Co-op commitments.
“Deciding to take a self-directed course allowed me to do both. Instead of having to choose between my project and my courses, the project became one of my courses,” says Kady.
“Self-directed courses gave me the time and the university credits I needed to stay on track academically as I nurtured something that means a lot to me.”
Kady Diarrassouba
— Fourth-year political science and communication student
Kady says teamwork, creativity and problem-solving were the professional skills she developed thanks to the self-directed course.
“I worked with psychologists, community partners, volunteer workshop leaders; this taught me how to lead and coordinate a team and communicate with people from very different backgrounds,” says Kady. “After every workshop, we analyzed feedback from presenters and used those comments to adapt activities for the next group. This continuous improvement was one of the project’s biggest lessons. I’m very proud to have turned this concept into a concrete reality.”
Journaling is increasingly becoming a known tactic for reducing anxiety, helping to process difficult emotions, building self-awareness, tracking moods and managing stress.
For Kady, this is something she knew instinctively. Even when the self-directed course is over, she intends to continue the project, with plans to run workshops in Gatineau and Ottawa.
“For me, words are both a sword and a shield. Writing helps me speak out and champion causes that are close to my heart, but also to protect myself when emotions become too much to bear,” Kady says.
“I see many young people around me going through difficult times without really having a space to express themselves. We often hear people say, ‘I’m fine’ and it rings hollow, either because they haven’t learned to talk about their emotions or are afraid of being judged. This is the idea behind Mots sur maux – it’s not meant to replace mental health professionals, but it’s a good starting point for people to put what they’re going through into words.”
Discover self-directed courses, starting from August 25
If you want to discover new strengths, gain confidence and explore topics that fascinate you, attend a self-directed course information session this August or September.
A self-directed course allows you to:
- Design and direct your own unique educational experience
- Earn up to three course units (credits) while working independently or in a group on a project you design yourself
- Tailor your learning to fit your interests and career goals
- Champion a cause you’re passionate about
- Gain hands-on experience in your field
- Deliver tangible solutions that make a difference
Kady’s comprehensive experiential learning journey
The self-directed course is just the latest step in Kady’s comprehensive experiential learning journey at uOttawa. Her other notable achievements include
- As a co-op and work-study student, Kady wrote several articles for The Gee student newsletter for Student Affairs;
- She wrote for La Rotonde , uOttawa’s French-language student newsletter, served as the sports and wellness section editor and is the incoming editor-in-chief;
- She drafted press releases, media lines and web content during her co-op placements with Quebec’s Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity;
- She has represented students and organized academic initiatives as vice-president, Academic Affairs, within the Communication Students' Association;
- She exercised her creativity, teamwork and innovation skills as a uOttawa competitor and representative at interuniversity competitions through Enactus;
- She honed her teamwork, innovation and communication skills while participating in the Faculty of Social Sciences Challenge (FSS Challenge) while collaborating on innovative solutions to real-world issues.
Explore your options for experiential learning by browsing Hands-on experiences that open doors.
