Group Guided Imagery and Music Therapy for Inpatients with Substance Abuse Disorder
Moe, Torben - Volume: 13
This study focused on a group adaptation of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) with patients suffering from substance abuse disorders, one of the first areas within which Helen Bonny worked after developing the Method. In this study, 15 men and 3 women diagnosed with substance abuse disorders according to the ICD-10 participated in a cognitive therapy program that included GIM therapy in a small group setting. The participants completed pre- and posttests using Antonovsky's 29-item Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29) and on a semistructured interview conducted after the participants completed the ten GIM therapy sessions. The results showed significant increase in sense of coherence, and all participants found that the group GIM treatment was an important psychotherapeutic extension of the cognitive behavioral milieu therapy. A majority of the clients stated that participation in the GIM therapy group was a valuable part of their recovery process and that the specific images, symbols, and emotions from the GIM setting had a therapeutic impact on them.