Throwing out the rule book?

Using a variety of artistic forms to make our feelings intelligible

Henry Dunn, Music Therapist

Introduction

• Exploring the use of other Art forms in Music Therapy and other Arts Therapies.

• Illustrated by a case study.

• Will present the results of a questionnaire about the use of other Art forms in the work of Arts Therapists.

Additional media I use

• Moving to music

• Art – in the session or as “homework” (an example of this will be in my case study).

• Drama –usually working with Dramatherapist

Sandtray

Communicube

Case Study

• Woman, in 50s, with longstanding depression and anxiety.

• Parents not interested in her in her own right, expressed disappointment.

• Has always felt on the outside of groups.

• Very intelligent, tends to intellectualise problems.

• Referral to Arts Therapies Service thought appropriate as way to avoid overintellectualising and to help integrate thoughts and feelings.

Her story

• Father a free church minister and businessman. Loved by his congregation, ignored Amy.

• Mother possibly had mental health problems, made Amy feel she was a failure. “You’ll never come to anything”.

• Little sense of self.• Raped when travelling. Confirmed her

feelings of worthlessness.

• Only at university did she feel that people were interested in her as a person – this came as a surprise.

• Very involved in multicultural groups, enjoying the music in particular.

• Parents both dead now.

The therapy room

The sessions

• Long conversations about past history and current problems.

• Long improvisations – Amy surrounding herself with instruments (like a family?)

• Amy brought in books and CDs to share.• Listened to her CDs – Tavener, Glass and

others.• Mandala Journal – arose from group Amy

attended.

• Vocal Holding (Diane Austin).

• This was a very intense way of working, providing containment and the safety to express deeply held emotions.

“especially useful in working through developmental injuries and arrests due to traumatic ruptures in the mother-child relationship or empathic failures at crucial developmental junctures.” (Austin 2008, p147)

• Concept of a Musical Mandala.• Excerpt 1 - Vocal Holding leading to Free

Associative Singing

Sings “Where are you? I am all alone.”• Excerpt 2 - I sing according to my

countertransference

“Come back Daddy”

“I am somebody, I exist…I am your daughter”

“Give me some attention”

Therapeutic relationship

• Had overtones of father – daughter relationship.

• Very intense, strong projections onto me.

• Bipolar in nature - either I was idealised or I was inadequate, not understanding her.

• Reparative/Representational.

Summary

• Lack of good enough parenting led to underdeveloped sense of self.

• Mother’s codependency with Amy didn’t allow her to become herself, distinct from her mother’s problems. Has led Amy to have her own codependency issues.

• Range of containing art forms offered variety of ways for Amy to achieve sense of self.

• Good enough therapeutic relationship started the process of reparation for early childhood experience.

Use of different art forms in the Arts Therapies - Survey

• Sent out to BAAT, ADMT, BAMT and BADTh

• 33 responses, 4 Music Therapists, 5 Dramatherapists, 14 Art Therapists, 10 Dance/Movement Therapists.

• 10 questions, on SurveyMonkey, 1st question identifying type of Arts Therapist.

Survey questions

• Were you taught about the other Arts Therapies during your training? If yes, can you describe some of what you learned?

• Do you work in a team with other Arts Therapists? If so, which Arts Therapies are represented? Does this affect the way you work?

• Do you use other Art forms in your work?• Can you describe these briefly? • What do you feel they added to your clinical practice? • Do you have skills/training in other Art forms? If so, what? • Have you co-worked with an Arts Therapist who uses a different Art form? • What was the rationale for this work? • How did you find the experience?

Overview of results

• General impression that Dramatherapists are more eclectic in their use of arts, as all arts can be part of dramatic performance.

• Art Therapists generally less likely to use other art forms.

• Music and Dance/Movement Therapists sit somewhere in the middle!

Sample comments

• Enriching / Different/ Challenging/ Inspiring

• They bring additional possibilities in my work with people. They offer an alternative/complementary way for self expression and exploration

• Working with other Arts Therapies brings a wider dimension to the therapy.

• Music supports dance process. Use of voice helps mind/body integration.

• Very enriching and rewarding.

• Both Music and Art have given to my clients more options of expressing themselves, as a supplement to their movement exploration.

• Between us, we were able to offer the client a calming experience that he indicated was acceptable. I felt supported and safe. Live music was flexible to meet changes that might be expressed in the moved interaction. I could focus entirely on the client without needing to deal with the music.

• I think that the arts inter-relate and overlap so that it becomes very difficult (and somewhat pointless?) to try to be purist. I especially believe this about the link between dance/ movement and music.

Discussion?

• For copies of this, and to share thoughts, email jazzmanhenry@hotmail.co.uk

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