Easier Painted than Said

Make one out of two - two therapists had the idea to combine musical with art therapy in order to support youths with nervous illnesses during rehabilitation. At REHACARE 2006 the project will be introduced in the course of the exhibitor talks and seminars.

01/10/2006

At Saint Mauritius Therapy Clinic in Meerbusch, Germany people that suffered from meningitis or tumours, strokes or spasms or those that are mentally disabled are being treated. The physicians use physio-, ergo or sports therapy for physical rehabilitaion but also music and art therapy for psycholgical well-being. Astrid Kletke-Drawert and Diana Marten wanted to know if music therapy can be combined with art therapy and in that way could cause better results with young patients. Therefore, they organised the project MUKU during April 2006 with seven young patients who were from ten to sixteen years old.

The two therapists have learned during years of work that especially youngsters have problems to express their feelings when they have been ill for a long time. "From a therapeuitc point of view it is especially important during the sensitive development stages of the youth to sense and to express the feelings from deep within.”

Even though the effects of music and therapy have not been scientifically proven the two therapists are convinced that they help in strengthening the soul: they are supposed to activate phantasy and strengthen concentration, hearing sense, sense for colours and forms and sense of touch are trained. "The artistic therapies should supplement the physical ones. Both of it is important: physical regeneration and psychological well-being", explains Kletke-Drawert.

The project consisted of six hours during which the patients were able to choose different topics such as emotions. Each one chose an instrument. A twelve year old girl for example took a lyre and she played something that sounded sad. That was taped. Later she drew while listening to her own music. She used the colour blue for her painting and said that she was feeling sad because she was not able to see her parents often since staying in the hospital. The girl was able to express her feelings in three ways: through melody, colour and speech.

"Often it is easier for people to translate their thoughts into words after making music or painting. A female patient for example wanted to paint a feeling of fear. But she also wanted to contain that fear. Therefore, she painted a frame around her picture", tells Marten. Sometimes it is possible to observe the development of a patient: Some patients chose dark colours at the beginning of a therapy because they suffer. Later on the colours become brighter as if they were feeling better. "The patients recognise that too", explains Marten, "because they can always take a look again at their pictures. That way they see how they have changed during time.”

The two therapists think that the combination of music and art therapy was successful. The patients had been very interested: "During each session we were impressed by the intensity with which the young people became involved in the therapy. Non-verbal and verbal expressions increased especially with those that were normally more quiet persons. They became braver and expressed themselves to others, they overcame many hindrances and made sure to be heard and seen."

The talk takes place on 19th October during REHACARE and is titled: "Klangfarben und Farbklänge - Kunst- und Musiktherapie als kombinierter Ansatz in der Arbeit mit neurologisch erkrankten Menschen im Jugendalter” - "Timbres and colour sounds - art and music therapy as a combined approach in the work with neurologically ill people at young age".

REHACARE.de

- Further information about Saint Mauritius therapy clinic at: www.stmtk.de