Creating a brave and empowering space for equality with – race, gender, sexuality, age, economic status, cognitive, physical, spiritual needs and those living with mental illness – through trauma informed care: music therapy, art therapy, dance/movement therapy and psychotherapy, to improve health and well-being.
Bonny Method Guided Imagery & Music (GIM)
Why GIM Therapy?
GIM allows for:
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Deeper trust in intuition and creative potential
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Healing and transformation
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Encouragement, perseverance, strength and resolution while moving through difficult experiences
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Reduction of stress, anxiety and depression symptoms
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Expression of grief, anxiety, anger and other difficult emotions
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An enhanced state of balanced well-being and improved self-awareness
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Connection of our unconscious (inner world) to our conscious (outer world)
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Unresolved issues to surface and helps to remove mental and emotional blocks
what is it?
Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) is a music-assisted psychotherapy that allows for self-exploration of one's inner world, strengths, hopes and desires as well as addressing life issues – i.e. grief, trauma, medical illness, abuse, mental health needs, addiction, relationship issues, and many more. GIM is a therapy that utilizes music as the co-facilitator with the trained therapist. The intentional music chosen during these sessions, allows one to tap into their own sub-conscious and to explore the resources that they already have within. The music may also act as a mirror and reflect ambivalences and explore both light and shadow of oneself. GIM allows unresolved issues to surface and allows individuals the opportunity to explore new resources and new levels of problem solving.
GIM is an interactive approach: After a check-in, the client/traveler is guided in a relaxation induction to allow for a relaxed, comfortable state for the traveler to quiet the mind, focus inwardly and begin exploration. As the music is playing, the guide is asking simple questions, which allows the traveler to move into the inner world and to deepen the relationship with the emerging material, e.g., images, memories, body sensations, vivid sensory experiences, strong feelings, and surprising insights.
As the music ends, the traveler is invited to open their eyes, engage in their outer world, and move into the processing portion of their experience. Clients who participate in GIM may have profound changes and, after one or more sessions, may make choices that lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Visit the Bonny Foundation website for more information about the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music: www.ami-bonnymethod.org
Is GIM Proven Effective?
See our entire Supporting Research Page
music and imagery
Experiencing fear, empowerment and freedom through imagery.
Imagery is more than just visualization. Types of imagery may include: visual, auditory, olfactory (smell), gustatory(taste), tactile (touch), kinesthetic (internal sense of movement in the body), body – distortion of body parts, and noetic – a very strong sense of knowing. We are all very unique in how we image, and each time may be different for us. Music and Imagery psychotherapy is a process that allows us to tap into our psyches in order to address issues in our lives in a different method beyond pure talk therapy. A music and imagery session utilizes carefully selected music depending upon the focus and desire of the session. After the music is selected, the therapist and the music become "co-therapists" with both components playing a major role in the session. The intent is to work with one specific issue or intention. After the imagery work is over, the experience is continued on paper, in order to process, usually through a mandala.
Music Psychotherapy
By utilizing the training from both a music therapy degree as well as a clinical social work background, Sara is able to practice music psychotherapy in order to best meet the needs of some individuals. Music psychotherapy combines the use of music therapy and psychotherapy to find that perfect blend for each individual. By utilizing a holistic, strengths based approach, Sara intentionally utilizes music to address goals that are non-musical in nature. Music allows individuals struggling with expressing themselves verbally a different and unique avenue to facilitate desired change in their lives.
Sara is committed to allowing individuals to access their creativity in order to facilitate change in their own lives. Music psychotherapy allows for Sara's holistic, client centered approach to best meet the needs of each individual seeking help. This may be through cognitive work, transpersonal or meaning centered psychotherapy all through tapping into our creative minds.
Sara's belief that connections between a person's mind, body and spirit have the capacity to affect physical health drives her approach with all who she works with.
music psychotherapy testimonial
"Music psychotherapy has impacted my life from 0 to 100 miles an hour! Singing & playing my djembe drum with Sara, transports me to another world without leaving the room.
When I leave her office, I feel like a NEW person! Yes, NEW!
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Sara has a special talent, she has brought back music in my life to help me cope with my cancer and all the issues that come with the illness. We harmonize songs together and I just love it! What a treat! She makes me HAPPY!!"
~ Nancy individual with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer