Interview with Jezreel, Behaviour Therapist at The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus

Jezreel is a Behavioural Therapist at the Mental Health and Patient Unit at The Ottawa Hospital, working with patients aged 18 to over 100 years old. In this role, she helps individuals who may be admitted for challenges such as aggression, psychosis, or behaviours that put themselves or others at risk. Her work focuses on understanding what drives these behaviours and introducing therapeutic activities that can calm, engage, and support patients before their distress escalates. She also plays a key role in improving quality of life for long-stay patients, many of whom can be in hospital for months or even years.

In her sessions, Jezreel has been using The Happiness Programme projector as a flexible tool to bring calm, fun, and connection to her patients.

On using the projector as a preventative tool
“I would say the projector works really well as a preventative measure. A lot of the patients we admit here come in for aggression, psychosis, or behaviours that might harm themselves or others. Having something that is calming and stimulating gives them a chance to express themselves through play and gamification before they reach that peak of aggression. Using it this way has been really great for my practice”

Accessibility for patients with limited mobility
“The best thing about the projector for this unit is that it’s very accessible for people with limited mobility—especially geriatric patients. It also works well for people who just want a fun game to start off our session.”

“Part of our sessions with older patients who struggle with mobility is to exercise the arms and legs, and it’s especially helpful for that, the flexibility of the projector makes it so much easier to achieve.”

Adapting the projector for different settings
“The fact that it can be projected on the wall, a table, or the floor makes it really motivating. Patients are meeting all their therapy goals without even realising it, because they’re just having fun with the games.”

“I have a geriatric patient in a wheelchair with very limited mobility. At first, we tried the projector on the wall and it kept him motivated, but only for a few minutes. Once we adjusted it so the images were projected onto a table or the floor—where he could really interact—it completely changed things. He stayed engaged for much longer and was able to reach all our therapy goals.”

Relaxation and setting the tone
“We also love using the relaxation videos as a break during sessions. They help set a calmer, more comfortable vibe, and patients feel more open to share and work together afterwards.”

Quality of life for long-stay patients
“It also really improves quality of life for some of my long-stay patients. Some of them have been here almost two years, and after a while life can feel mundane. The projector gives them something different. It shows that their behavioural therapist is also just a person who wants to spend meaningful time with them. It reminds them they’re still able to experience fun things.”

On the impact in her sessions
“It definitely increases the quality of my sessions—making them more fun and engaging. And honestly, it’s become a bit of an event. The projector is quite loud when we wheel it down the hall on our flooring—but as soon as people hear it coming, they say, ‘oh yeah!’”

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Stories like Jezreel’s highlight how simple, playful tools can transform care, not just in Canada but in hospitals and care settings across the world. At Social-Ability, we’re proud to see The Happiness Programme supporting patients of all ages, helping therapists, nurses, and carers bring moments of calm, connection, and joy into even the most clinical environments.