Freeing Silenced Voices: Music Therapy and Guided Imagery and Music with Holocaust Survivors Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, RP, MTA, MT-BC, FAMI University of Toronto a.clements.cortes@utoronto.ca
Learning Goals To become familiar with background scholarly information on grief, trauma, loss, the Holocaust, and post-traumatic stress. To be introduced to the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) To learn how music therapy and the BMGIM are effective in working through issues surrounding the experiences of abuse, trauma, death, grieving and loss. To learn how music therapy sessions and the BMGIM facilitate the opportunity to express anger, grieve, and provide healing.
What is Music Therapy? Music therapy is the skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, selfawareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development. Canadian Association for Music Therapy, 1994
Music Therapy With Survivors of Trauma Hatcher (2007) therapeutic song writing Richards (2007) Kowski (2007) AMT and PT Austin (2007) MacIntosh (2003) & Volkman (1993) Amir (2007) Austin (2006)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the re-experiencing of an extremely traumatic event accompanied by symptoms of increased arousal and by avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma Recurrent and intrusive recollection Recurring dreams Acting/feeling as if the event were recurring
Children of the Holocaust Cohen, Dekel, Solomon & Lavie (2003) Krell,1993; and Moskowitz and Krell,1990 Brenner, 1996; Mazor & Mendelson, 1998; Mokovitz & Krell, 1990; Robinson, Rapaport-Bar-Sever, & Rapaport, 1994; Tauber & Van-Der-Hal, 1997
Prevalence of PTSD Symptoms Orwid et al. (1995) Kuch & Cox (1992) Cohen et al., (2001) Lev-Wiesel and Amir (2000)
Freedman (1999) Sudden and traumatic separation from home, community and family, Life threatening illness, Mistrust of staff and/or caregivers Medical procedures and shaving, Needles, Hospitalization, and, Memory loss and dementia.
Danieli (1988) hospitalization may be experienced as an incarceration and medication as a return to helplessness (p. 290).
Music in the Camps ghetto songs provided hope and comfort, as well as the courage for resistance (Moreno, 1999, p. 12). Those marching into the gas chambers singing such songs as Hatikva [National Anthem] in their last moments of life affirmed their shared identity and faith though group solidarity (p. 12).
Potential Music Therapy Goals Using music to facilitate sleep Using music to engage in discussions Creating songs and/or music that reflects feelings
What Questions Do Dying Persons Struggle With? Why did this happen to me? How do I leave this world? Where will I go when I die? How do I say goodbye to my family and friends?
Yetta s Goals Increasing opportunities for social interaction; Enhancing reminiscence; Experiencing childhood; Life review and reflection; Enhance/facilitate emotional expression; Enhance quality of life
Reflecting on Childhood Duchen (1999) avers a lost childhood is a reverberant theme in many survivors (p. 214).
I Lived in a Shadow of Silence Musical Improvisation and Verbal Dialogue Accessing emotions and releasing anger
Song Writing Exploring feelings Closure and Resolution Honouring, praising strength and courage Healing
How Did Music Therapy Help? Examine childhood Explore feelings, review life and come to closure Resolution Experience freedom, authentic presentation and identity validation
What Is BMGIM? Therapeutic process using music and facilitator BMGIM use of specially sequenced western classical music designed to stimulate and sustain a dynamic unfolding of imagery experiences (Mardis & Clark, 2008, 2). Many programs: Caring, Peak Experiences, Grieving, Relationships
BMGIM Session Structure Phase One: Opening conversation Phase Two: A relaxation induction Phase Three: The music-imagery experience Phase Four: Return and post-talk
Rivka Healing Water: Assessing Trauma, Abuse and Loss
Assessment Female born 1936 Holocaust survivor father, sister, mother killed Married Levi in 1960s, he died recently Childless due to infertility Desired to address loss of husband, deaths of family Diagnosed with Cancer: Six month prognosis
Rivka s Goals 1. For Rivka to work through her feelings about her husband Levi s death. 2. For Rivka to explore her fears of death. 3. For Rivka to look back on previous losses and come to some resolution.
Opening the Wounds of Death Exploring loss of Levi and childhood losses I smell the stench of burning bodies. It is real, I can t escape it. Why did I survive? Significant Images: Corpses, bones, Ghetto, acid rain Began to acknowledge what she had experienced, express anger, find peace and resolution
Hiding I deserve this, I did not help anyone. Significant Images: basement, doll, dove, tunnel, rotting bodies, dancing, flowers Moon (2005) basement symbolizes things that make us feel ashamed and guilty Expressed guilt over surviving when her family did not (Garwood, 1996) Verbal, sexual, and physical abuse from couple who took her in Accessed emotions of anger, resentment, hurt I am going to stop hiding I am starting to see the light.
Healing Water Discussed fear of death Began to work past survivor s guilt Images of cleansing water, waterfall, family, husband, beautiful nature scenes Water, wash away my tumor, wash away my fear, wash wash me. Last session was a music therapy session and songwriting project Light
Light/ La Luce There is a light, burning bright It s inside my soul tonight I felt alone but now am free Free to speak and see and feel and be Chorus In death I will be reborn I no longer have to mourn I have found new strength In me I am strong! I will no longer hide I am proud to be alive I have lived my life well My stories are freed to tell.
Results Able to finally express feelings about husband, death, and trauma GIM effective for moving sessions forward in a short amount of time Closure on Holocaust issues
Selected References Clements-Cortes, A. (2014). Breaking free: Healing physical, verbal and sexual abuse through the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. Association for Music and Imagery Journal, 14, 39-60. Clements-Cortes, A. (2013). Freeing the voice within. Canadian Music Educators Journal, 55(1), 19-24. Clements-Cortes, (2013) A. healing water: Assessing trauma, abuse and loss via guided imagery and music. Kavod Journal,(3). http://kavod.claimscon.org/
Soothing Relaxation Journeys
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