Fall 2004

THE BONNY METHOD OF GUIDED IMAGERY & MUSIC
by SHOW member Sha'ari S. Garfinkel MSW, MT-BC, FAMI, RC

As far back as I can remember, I have experienced powerful emotional responses to music along with mental pictures or physical sensations that seemed to emit directly from the music and embed themselves in my brain. While listening, I often forgot my physical surroundings and became utterly transported by the music. This type of experience is certainly not unique. Helen Bonny observed the transcendent effects of music during her research at the Maryland Psychiatric Institute in the 1970's. Bonny was a pioneer in recognizing this power of music and using it in an intentional and therapeutic way. Over time, she developed her technique into the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music.

Variation of responses to the music is endless and fascinating. Sessions can take many directions, often times far a field from stated goals. Experiences include memories, healing sensations, emotional expression, rituals, or fantasy episodes. Over time, patterns may become evident, common themes may emerge and certain symbols or metaphors may take on significance. Powerful therapeutic breakthroughs may occur that were seemingly unreachable during standard talk therapy.

A 25-year old college student and single mother came to therapy confused about her current relationship. She was dating someone who expressed love for her but she was uncertain, describing her heart as "numb." During sleepless nights, she obsessed on her recent divorce, replaying scenes from her marriage and trying to sort out blame. This lack of sleep was affecting her job performance - she had been placed on probation. We began a series of ten sessions. During initial sessions, J.'s imagery focused around cemeteries and memories of long-gone relatives.

In one key session, she found herself in a graveyard for "dead marriages" where she was able to read the headstone of her own failed relationship. In her session, as the melody of a solo flute rose, she fell to her knees and sobbed. Thus began some important grief work. In sessions that followed, musical selections featured the flute since J. seemed to have a strong cathartic connection to this instrument. J. left each session emotionally spent but reported that she was sleeping better. Eventually, J. was able to put closure to her relationship with her ex-husband. She reported feeling much closer to her partner. Her latest work review had been quite positive. At our last session, she spoke about her hopes for the future at both work and in her relationship. "I finally told him he could move in," she said with a huge smile.

Another patient came to me to deal with extreme anxiety. She was dealing with serious medical problems resulting in an inability to swallow. She had a small hole in the musculature that she experienced as "the big stone in my throat." When I met D., she was feeding herself through a tube and had lost over 40 pounds. All viable treatment attempts had failed. Her doctors had told her that she should "put her affairs in order."

During our sessions, D. focused on the string section, weeping that her deceased father used to play violin. Over the next few sessions, she tried to interact with her father but he never seemed to hear her. In one crucial session, she re-experienced an event from her teen years in which she tried to explain to her father why she wanted to go to law school. He refused to listen. She suddenly noticed "the big stone in her throat" for the first time, accompanied by a feeling of not being able to "voice herself." She began to understand how the stone had been come to be and focused on it over next few sessions. During one powerful musical climax, the stone transformed itself into a beautiful pearl. Following this session, she was able to swallow intermittently. Over time, she began a combination tube feeding-eating regimen. She gained 19 pounds, felt better than she had in years and started a nutritional counseling practice.

In these examples, the music, therapist and client worked synergistically to impact emotional and physical changes. Variations to Bonny's classic method include using world music or Tibetan bowls & gongs.

Sha'ari Garfinkel, MSW, MT-BC, FAMI, RC is a nationally board-certified music therapist, social worker, ordained minister and registered counselor who was awarded the title of Fellow in the Bonny Method in 1995 by the Association for Music & Imagery. She holds a Master of Social Work degree and is director of Medical Music Therapies & Counseling in Seattle, WA. She offers groups, trainings and workshops and specializes in treating clients with emotional issues and chronic or life-threatening illnesses.