The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) is a psychotherapy method in which music is used. The patient listens to a selection of mainly classical music in a relaxed state while communicating his or her experiences, his or her imagery to the therapist. Imagery includes inner perceptions, visual images, bodily sensations, sensory impressions, feelings, memories, thoughts, and intuitions which develop in a processual way while and through listening to music. In the first part 1 of the book, backgrounds and theories specific to the method are described and discussed. They include psychodynamic theory, Jungian Psychology, Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology, Stern’s Developmental Psychology, as well as music psychology, music philosophy, and theory of imagery. In addition, the core elements of GIM – imagery, therapeutic relationship, music, and altered states of consciousness – are discussed.
Part 2 of the book deals with modifications of GIM. These are in most cases shorter versions of the original method, in which components of GIM (i.e. focus, music, imagery, therapeutic attitude) are altered. Modifications of GIM are used in the clinical and the educational setting, and in supervision. This part is followed by a brief overview of the current state of GIM-research.
In part 4 of the book, applications of GIM and its modifications are described in detail with an emphasis on psychotherapeutic applications. The basis for this are the different structural levels as described in the Operationalised Psychodynamic Diagnostics (OPD). Furthermore, the authors elaborate on the applications of GIM and its modifications for those disorders or patient groups that cannot be sufficiently explained with the levels of structure alone. Among those disorders are psychoses, and trauma-related disorders. Special patient groups are patients in medical care, children and adolescents, patients with mental retardation, and forensic patients. Non-clinical themes of this part are applications of GIM and its modifications in the areas of prevention of illness, personal growth, and in religious and spiritual practice. Numerous case studies and excerpts of session-transcripts exemplify the therapeutic technique and the mode of operation of the method. In the last part, professional issues are discussed, especially GIM-training and supervision for GIM-therapists and students.
Hitherto, this book is the only GIM-textbook worldwide. As a book of fundamentals of GIM, it fills a gap in the GIM-literature, especially for GIM-students and therapists. But it addresses also psychotherapists, music therapists and other creative arts therapists, educators, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, pastoral counselors, supervisors, and students of these areas. For these professionals the book can be enriching and it can open up new possibilities.