If you are interested in improving the health of yourself, your organization, your business, or your community in an uplifting non-traditional “out of the box” electrifying manner, then contacting Hedda Matza- Haughton, LCSW, President of “For The Health of it” Consultation Services is the answer. Ms. Matza- Haughton integrates improvisational interactive drama, laughter, fun and play in her education/ prevention training programs to achieve health and wellness of individuals, businesses, and organizations, which have physiological, psychological, and organizational outcomes and health benefits. For example, her work facilitates an increase in problem solving and creative thinking skills in dealing with a variety of personal life, business, management and organizational situations.
Improvisational interactive and creative drama and laughter, fun and play are her two primary art forms, and Ms. Matza- Haughton also incorporates into her drama and laughter work, other art modalities such as movement, writing, music, guided imagery, and mindfulness meditation.
Ms. Matza- Haughton, LCSW, for over 25 years as a master’s level social worker, school teaching artist, health educator and business consultant, has integrated improvisational interactive drama and laughter, fun and play also into her specialty area of community education, prevention programming and business consulting. Early in her career she discovered that using the arts was beneficial to the health and mental health of individuals and organizations and soon discovered the research that supported that discovery. She began working with youth and teens who created, with her knowledge and guidance, improvisational interactive drama dealing with such life challenges as bullying, child abuse, dating violence, or family issues, etc., performing for youth and adult audiences. This interactive improvisational drama engaged the audiences in a way and was much more effective than a lecture on the topic. Educational interactive drama was just as effective in working with adult populations on such issues as domestic violence, communication during death and dying, cancer survivorship. “Laugh for the Health of It,” another one of her creations, is a nationally acclaimed educational program dealing with the physiological and emotional benefits of laughter and joy and how you can incorporate these benefits into one’s daily life. These two programs also incorporates music, writing, movement and guided imagery as needed.
This work has been done throughout the community in schools, community organizations, local and national venues, and for businesses. The populations served were varied, and included youth, teens and adults from a variety of backgrounds, serving the general community, as well as special populations and different businesses and organizations. Ms. Matza- Haughton brought her expertise to Sarasota Florida in 2010, and is one of the founders, a professional and organization plus member, and current Co-Chair of Arts For Health Sarasota Manatee, Inc.
Ms. Matza- Haughton has also worked with individual leaders of community organizations and businesses integrating drama and laughter in individual sessions to achieve desired goals.
She has also used drama, laughter, music, movement, guided imagery, and mindfulness meditation into individual and group clinical sessions dealing with different life crises. This integration has been part of Ms. Matza- Haughton’s social work clinical practice for many years. In addition, individuals from the general community after attending one of her “Laugh for the Health of It’ programs, have worked with her individually to find ways to bring more laughter and joy in their lives.
Improvisational creative drama programming for school age youth integrating the arts and education/mental health on such topics as bullying, building self-esteem; smoking prevention; dating violence, child abuse, parent child relationships, etc.
Improvisational drama education and prevention programming for adults integrating arts and health on such issues as young adult dating violence; aging issues; caregiving; cancer survivorship, etc.
Improvisational drama training and education programs for businesses and organizations dealing with such issues as improving work performance for employees and management; customer service; etc.
Laugh for The Health of It” workshops, educational programs and Keynote speaker conference presentations
Coordinating and administrating community, organization, and business projects that integrate arts and health, as well as integrating the arts in education
Mentoring individuals and organizational leaders in how to find their many life “passions” and helping to find tools and techniques to follow those passions in their work or outside of their work life.
Expert in improvisational drama techniques and how to incorporate them into training and education in an uplifting “ out of the box” creative manner
Excellent communication, leadership, mentoring, administrative, and business skills
Creative skills in training and educational programming design, creation, execution and evaluation
Outstanding ability to bring people and organizations together to achieve goals and objectives in an uplifting learning environment and to advocate for the integration of the arts in health and education for individuals, organizations, and businesses.
Talent in using laughter and joy to create an atmosphere of trust and openness while dealing with programming that deals with life challenges and business issues that are often difficult to openly talk about.
Ms. Matza- Haughton, LCSW, has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan and a BA in Education and Sociology from Queens College in New York City, and is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of New York. She has extensive education in improvisational drama and the health benefits of laughter and joy from different educational facilities, and seminars and conferences in NYC and across the country. She has been on a variety of social agency and community boards in New York City and is one of the founders, professional /organization plus member and current Co-Chair of Arts For Health Sarasota- Manatee.
Ms. Matza- Haughton been awarded many grants over the last 25 years for her improvisational drama and its use dealing with mental health and health issues, focusing on youth, teen and adult life issues, and business management. She has travelled across the country doing her “Laugh For the Health of It” program receiving grants from Oncology Nursing Societies, ANNA; pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities and organizations.
In my personal and business life I have engaged in arts for health activities for many years. I have seen first-hand, that there are so many benefits to the mind, body and spirit. Whatever form of art for health integration used, whether it be drama and laughter, my two primary forms, or other art forms, it engages and empowers the individuals or organizations to open up their creative side, making learning easier and more interesting.
I am honoured and rewarded each day that I do this work, amazed at the positive outcomes, and always learn from the people and organizations I work with doing arts for health.