Certificate in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) Adaptations
for Health and Wellbeing

Music Breathing, Progressive Body Relaxation, and Directed Music Imaging

Course outline

In contemporary Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) which is a field of practice, adaptations of The Bonny Method of GIM (the original GIM method) are becoming increasingly important and more widely practiced than the original method in many European countries. These adaptations of The Bonny Method make effective work possible with clients who often have complex needs and a physical, psychological or emotional vulnerability that makes The Bonny Method itself, as a powerful form of depth psychotherapy, unsuitable and even contraindicated.

The GIM adaptations that have been developed involve the core elements of The Bonny Method (and associated techniques) being modified, sometimes simplified, as well as developed and expanded, where elements may be separated out or combined in new ways. This course teaches a range of techniques that represent supportive or resource-oriented GIM Adaptations which can potentially benefit the physical and mental health of clients with diverse needs in many different settings. Included are music breathing techniques, progressive body relaxation with music, and directed music imaging. More detailed information about these techniques is set out below.

Potential outcomes for clients include:

enhancing mental health and wellbeing generally, including managing anxiety, stress and depression.
managing the ongoing impact of abuse and trauma, including PTSD.
developing inner resources and coping strategies that promote emotional regulation and stress reduction.
regulation of the autonomic nervous system (e.g. through activation of the parasympathetic nervous system to counter flight-fight-freeze responses and reduce stress hormones).
addressing performance/activity/task related anxiety.
pain management.
managing chronic health conditions.
increasing heart rate variability, cardiovascular regulation, reducing blood pressure, improving oxygen saturation and lung function, reducing chronic inflammation etc.
healing of body, mind and spirit.
enhancing cancer care and treatment.
boosting the immune system.

There is an emphasis on the way the techniques taught and their core elements can themselves be adapted and combined in different ways to meet the needs of diverse clients, including children and adults, in both individual and group work. It is important to be aware that suitable clients are those able to follow the therapist's verbal guidance to engage with the techniques taught. Adapting some of the techniques to make them accessible for clients who may struggle to understand such guidance, including non-verbal clients, will also be discussed, though there will be limitations in what is possible with such clients.

It is important to be aware that the course will not equip therapists who enrol to practice The Bonny Method of GIM, nor to practice Supportive and Re-educative Music and Imagery (SMI & RMI), these also adaptations of The Bonny Method for which separate training is available. SMI & RMI are psychotherapeutic methods used in combination to address the complex psychological and emotional issues which often underlie client's mental health struggles. The supportive techniques taught on the GIM Adaptations course are not intended to facilitate depth psychotherapeutic work. Rather various techniques are taught that music therapists and others can incorporate and adapt within their existing therapeutic practice to support client wellbeing, physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual, and in this way help make client's mental and other health issues easier to manage.

The course trainers, all experienced music therapists additionally trained in GIM and MI, are:

Martin Lawes, Course Director
Helen Wallace-Bell, Assistant Course Director and Independent Music Breathing Practitioner
Carine Ries, Qualified Yoga Teacher

Training seminars and requirements

The course consists of 9-days of training delivered in 4 training seminars spread over a 9-month period to give a chance for consolidation and practice following each seminar. The course includes theoretical and practical instruction. There is a strong emphasis on experiential learning throughout.

Training seminar 1

The first training seminar (3.5 days) begins with an overview of GIM, its core elements and adaptations, and considers the role of the music with the techniques taught. The main focus of the training seminar is on music breathing and progressive body relaxation techniques incorporating music (see below for more information about these techniques). The training seminar is followed by a period of self-experience, dyad work (with a training partner) and client work.

The course requirements following the first training seminar are to:

Create and record music suitable for music breathing, or record a progressive body relaxation with music
Practice music breathing for 10-minutes three times a week for a minimum of one month
Dyad work on two occasions with a training partner to practice progressive body relaxation
Utilise music breathing and/or progressive body relaxation with clients where and as appropriate

Training seminar 2

The second training seminar (2.5 days) begins with group supervision and considers other progressive body relaxation techniques before focusing on directed music imaging (see below for more information about this).

Training seminar 3

The third training seminar (2 days) focuses on more advanced aspects of directed music imaging including the use of interactive guiding techniques derived from the Bonny Method of GIM.

Following the second and third training seminars, the requirements are to:

Record a directed music imaging script with music
Undertake self-experience eight times using recordings of directed music imaging provided by the course
Dyad work four times with a training partner to practice directed music imaging
Create and categorise a pool of recorded music suitable to be used with the different techniques taught on the course
Utilise directed music imaging and other techniques taught with clients where and as appropriate
Complete a self-reflective learning report

Training seminar 4

Following further self-experience, dyad and client work, the final training seminar (1 day) includes group supervision and a consolidation of the learning process, techniques taught and their application and integration within therapist's existing practice.

Upon satisfactory completion of the course requirements, a certificate of competence in the techniques taught will be awarded.

Music Breathing

Various music breathing techniques are taught to support self-regulation, physical and mental wellbeing. The Integrative GIM Training Programme was the first in the world to offer a full training in the music breathing method developed by the late Dr Dag Körlin, psychiatrist and GIM therapist, to address the needs of clients with complex PTSD, the training delivered by and in partnership with him. The current course draws on this in theory and practice, including how the music used is selected and categorized. The course draws additionally on yoga breathing techniques and is informed also by research in entrainment and Resonance Frequency Breathing. Theory relating to the physiology of breath, emotion, stress and trauma, along with neuroscience and polyvagal theory is taught, with case vignettes illustrating how different techniques can be used with clients to support their wellbeing.

Progressive Body Relaxation

The principles of progressive body relaxation are introduced, with careful consideration given to ensuring work undertaken in relaxed states of consciousness is both safe and accessible for different clients to support their physical and mental wellbeing. The use of both spoken and sung progressive body relaxation will be considered and examples shared.

The initial focus is on breath-based and tense-release techniques, and during the second training seminar on other types that can be used in addition in work with both children and adults. The incorporation of music in different ways is discussed to promote relaxation, emotional-regulation, stress management and mindfulness. The integration of progressive body relaxation and music breathing is also discussed.

Also considered will be how art-making can be used afterwards to help client's consolidate and hold onto their experience.

Directed Music Imaging

Directed music imaging is more generally (beyond GIM) referred to as guided imagery, but with a more prominent and integrated role given to the music in directed music imaging. Directed music imaging as a GIM technique incorporates progressive body relaxation but extends and develops it as clients are supported to engage in a multi-modal mental imagery experience to benefit their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

The principals of directed music imaging are explained, with the associated guiding techniques taught. A range of imagery theory is included, referring to the extensive research across disciplines that demonstrates the benefits of mental imagery-based interventions and what is required to make them effective (e.g. research in GIM, CBT, sports psychology, neurorehabilitation, cancer care etc). Many different types of directed music imaging are introduced. Examples are provided for both children and adults focus on promoting:

relaxation
mindfulness
internal safety
energising, empowering and strengthening
stress management
the healing of body, mind, and spirit
pain management
cancer treatment
mental rehearsal (e.g. preparing for and managing the anxiety associated with taking exams).

The principals of how to adapt guided imagery scripts available online or in publications for directed music imaging are taught, as well as how to create bespoke imagery scripts for individual clients, and how to incorporate elements of interactive guiding used in the Bonny Method of GIM to help personalize and deepen the experience for clients.

Finally, the course includes guidance on assessment and the use and integration of all the techniques taught, including how their many different elements can be combined, adapted or omitted to make this type of work safe, suitable and accessible in meeting the needs of different clients.