Music Therapy

Jim Lowther pairs members of the military with guitars to combat PTSD

- Vivien Fellegi

JOHN BENOIT WILL never forget the moment he set eyes on “Valerie,” the guitar that helped him sing his way back to life. In 2005, suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, the once-extroverted medic quit the army. For the next decade, he lived off his military pension while holed up in a cottage in rural Nova Scotia with his pet rabbit, dog and two cats. But last May, when a friend told him about Guitars for VETS Canada—a charity that matches gently used instruments with disabled veterans—Benoit decided it was time to make a move.

The self-styled hermit had not interacted in a group setting in years, and the drive to the program’s headquarters 50 kilometres away in Halifax left him panicked. By the time he arrived at his destination, Benoit’s heart was pounding and he was dripping sweat.