Combining Schema Therapy and Guided Imagery and Music — Gert Tuinmann

Ειδικό Τεύχος 9 (2) 2017 “Guided Imagery and Music: Σύγχρονες Ευρωπαϊκές προοπτικές και εξελίξεις” – Article (published on 22 December 2017)

Full text [PDF]

Combining Schema Therapy and Guided Imagery and Music 

Gert Tuinmann  

Abstract

Schema therapy (ST) is a third wave Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and is used for the treatment of personality disorder, chronic depression and eating disorders amongst others. One goal is to evoke emotions and to regulate them. The techniques that are used are imagery rescripting, chair dialogue and standard cognitive behavioural techniques. Core elements in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) are interactive music-activated imagery (images experienced by the five senses, body sense, memories, emotions and possibly transpersonal imagery). By combining these two treatments, the patients’ experiences and the treatment efficacy overall might be enhanced. The aim of this article is to introduce ST and to inform readers about similarities between the treatments and resulting combination possibilities. The author describes the combination of treatments in a client with chronic pain. The findings and future developments are discussed. As this combination has never been described before and only one case report is given in this article, no conclusions can be drawn. Further studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of this potential combination.

Keywords

Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM), music therapy, Schema Therapy (ST), imagination, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Biography

After studying medicine Gert Tuinmann qualified as specialist in internal medicine. Following this he studied music therapy (2005-2008). He started his GIM training in 2006 and became a fellow in 2012. He also qualified in cognitive behavioural therapy and schema therapy (2008-2014). Since January 2015 he has worked in a psychosomatic department at the University Hospital Charite Berlin.
Email: gert.tuinmann@charite.de