Healing of Memories Workshops
Providing a safe space to acknowledge one's wounds and move toward healing
Through life storytelling, artistic expression, and rituals, Healing of Memories workshops allow individuals to re-examine their lives from a restorative perspective. They provide an opportunity to explore and acknowledge the emotional wounds we carry within us, on both individual and collective levels (family, community, country). In doing so, they enable us to take a step forward on our healing journey, within a space of safety, trust, and respect.
About the workshop
An immersive process, guided by certified facilitators
Led by an experienced facilitation team, this structured approach draws on the power of the group and its proven framework to offer a deeply human and liberating supportive environment.
Who is the workshop for?
Healing of Memories workshops are for everyone. We all carry life experiences and painful memories.
"We all need healing for something we've done, suffered or failed to do.".
- Michael Lapsley
Founder of the Institute for Healing of Memories in South Africa
How does it work?
The workshop consists of time for sharing and listening, creativity, and connection.
Bringing together 25 people, it is offered in a weekend format (from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) with full board in a setting conducive to reflection and meditation (mini-workshops can also be held virtually).
The workshop includes a follow-up meeting 3 months later to reconnect and review the progress made since then.
Why participate?
Taking part in this workshop can offer profound benefits for healing and lightening the burdens of the past:
- Speaking freely: Tell your personal story at your own pace, within a supportive environment where every account is received without judgment.
- Understanding your roadblocks: Put words to painful memories or trauma, whether personal, familial, or cultural.
- Breaking isolation: Realize, through listening to others, that your wounds resonate with shared experiences and collective memories.
- Beginning a transformation: Draw on the power of artistic expression and symbolic rituals to transform suffering into a journey of resilience.
How much does it cost?
Registration fee: $525
Contribute whatever you can afford. True to its values, Passerelles de justice réparatrice does not turn anyone away for financial reasons. Simply indicate in the registration form the amount you are able to contribute.
What is included in the 3-day stay:
- Full board: 3 meals per day and snacks included.
- Accommodation: 2 nights in a single room.
- Facilitation: A workshop guided and facilitated by several certified facilitators.
The workshop is recognized by IVAC, the Crime Victims Compensation program.
The facilitation team
Estelle Drouvin
Catherine Ego
Lucie Brousseau
Raoul Lincourt
Rose-Anne Gosselin
Details of the next workshop
Dates and times
Friday, November 13 to Sunday, November 15, 2026
Fee
525 $
Should the cost be an obstacle to your participation, please note that we do not turn anyone away for financial reasons.
The workshop is recognized by IVAC, the Crime Victims Compensation program.
Location
Campus Notre-Dame de Foy
5000 Rue Clément Lockquell, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC G3A 1B3
Carpooling available
For information
Estelle Drouvin
Director
514 933-3737 ou info@passerellesjr.org
Registration
Register now. Places are limited to 20 people.
Historical background
In Quebec, Healing of Memories workshops have been offered by Passerelles de justice réparatrice since 2016.
They were conceived in South Africa by Michael Lapsley, founder of the Institute for Healing of Memories in South Africa. A victim of an attack perpetrated by the South African apartheid regime, Michael Lapsley participated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
As early as 1998, he created spaces for dialogue between Black and White people, allowing them to share their experiences during apartheid—what they had done, what had been done to them, and what they regretted not having done. This is how the Healing of Memories workshops were born.
Today, they are held across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Testimonies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Healing of Memories workshop and how does it work?
The Healing of Memories workshop is a structured 3-day process that allows individuals to revisit their personal story, across both its individual and collective dimensions (family, gender, religion, nation…), in order to lighten the burdens of past suffering[cite: 1, 2, 7].
In practice, the process unfolds over a full weekend (from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) in an immersive, full-board format[cite: 1, 2, 7]. Guided by a certified facilitation team, the schedule alternates between[cite: 1, 2, 7]:
- Times for speaking and deep listening within a small group;[cite: 1, 2, 7]
- Accessible artistic expression workshops open to all;[cite: 1, 2, 7]
- Symbolic rituals to mark a step toward liberation.[cite: 2, 7]
To consolidate the journey traveled, a group follow-up meeting is included three months after the weekend.[cite: 1, 2, 7]
Do I need to have experienced severe trauma to participate in this workshop?
No, absolutely not. This workshop is open to everyone, as we all carry emotional wounds or painful memories.
As Michael Lapsley, founder of the approach, reminds us: "We all need healing for something we've done, suffered or failed to do." Whether your suffering stems from a recent event, childhood wounds, or collective hardships (familial, cultural, migration-related, or community-based), you have a place here. There is no "hierarchy" of suffering.
How are confidentiality and safety ensured during the weekend?
Creating a deeply safe and confidential space is the highest priority for the facilitation team[cite: 10]. The workshop brings together a maximum of 25 participants in a setting conducive to quiet reflection, away from everyday life[cite: 10].
The framework is built upon strict ethical principles:
- Confidentiality: Everything shared within the group stays within the group[cite: 10].
- Non-judgment and mutual respect: Everyone journeys and shares at their own pace, free to disclose whatever they choose about their story[cite: 10]. Participants are encouraged to reflect one another’s strengths, without commenting on or judging anyone's story[cite: 10].
- Professional guidance: The workshop is facilitated by several certified facilitators specifically trained to hold and support emotions in a caring manner[cite: 10].
What can I do if I cannot afford the registration fee?
True to its values of solidarity and inclusivity, Passerelles de justice réparatrice does not turn anyone away for financial reasons[cite: 1, 5]. The $525 fee covers the entire stay with full board (3 meals per day, snacks, 2 nights in a single room, workshop facilitation by the facilitators, and workshop materials)[cite: 1, 2, 5].
If this amount represents an obstacle for you, you may contribute whatever you can afford or make payments in several installments[cite: 1, 5].
In the registration form, simply indicate the amount you are able to pay in the field provided for this purpose, without having to provide any justification[cite: 2, 5].
What is the difference between this workshop and traditional group therapy?
Although the workshop has deeply therapeutic and liberating benefits, it is not traditional psychotherapy. It is a complementary process grounded in the Ubuntu philosophy.
Unlike traditional therapy based primarily on ongoing psychological analysis, the Healing of Memories workshop draws on the power of shared storytelling, group synergy, creative expression, and symbolic rituals. It is a one-time immersive experience designed to help you transform suffering into a source of resilience, supported by the community.
How do I register for the workshop and what are the next steps?
To begin your process, simply go to the upcoming dates section on this page and click the "Register" button to fill out our secure online form. Once your request has been received, a member of our team will contact you.
Do you feel the need to talk before taking the first step?
Whether you are ready to register or simply need to see if this workshop is right for your current situation, our team is here to listen, in complete confidentiality.