Perhaps I am just more sensitive to these situations because of my work in a family counseling agency and taking a family therapy and systems class this semester, but the premier of the new season of the TLC show Trading Spaces really bothered me this past Saturday evening.
The new season of Trading Spacing is advertising not just neighbors revamping a room in each others' home, but "emotional makeovers." The show this past Saturday was with a divorced couple where the ex-husband is living alone and the ex-wife is remarried. The ex-partners also have a young son that now (I think) has shared custody between his parents. Into this relationship springs the host, 2 designers, and two carpenters followed by a large camera crew and an even larger TV viewing audience. They swap bedrooms for 48 hours for a marvelous makeover.
I think the show is really pushing the boundaries. Similar to my disgust with Dr. Phil, Trading Spaces seems to highlight the negative aspects of the relationship. It appeared, at least to me, that in the beginning of the show it was demonstrated how there was some possible pathology involved in this blended family including mistrust, hostility, and hurt. By the end of the show, the perception was that by changing the rooms, doing a "therapeutic" art project, and having a room reveal that things were all for the better.
Don't get me wrong, I believe that an experience like that can be cathartic and helpful. And at the same time, I didn't appreciate how the home makeover experience is portrayed as a great replacement for therapy, as if when the cameras leave and the paint dries, everything will be perfect.
The other main issue is the fact that people problems and pain is valuable "entertainment." I find it difficult to see people watch shows with people being injured physically or emotionally and finding humor and enterainment in that situation.
What do you think of the "new" Trading Spaces format?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Social Skills: Drum Conversation
An easy way to engage someone who requires practice of the elements of conversation is a drum conversation. This can be done in many ways (and with different instruments), but this is my favorite way to implement.
1. Choose an appropriate drum size. The drum should be able to be played independently without each person having to move or hold it. I like a free standing tubano or floor drum.
2. Place the drum between the two people conversing (or in the middle of a circle for a group intervention).
3. Use only one mallet.
4. The person who has the mallet is the one speaking. This individual can tap the rhythm of their speech pattern or simply play the macrobeat on the instrument. They can address a certain person by name and ask a question.
5. When they are done speaking/playing, the mallet is passed to the conversational recipient. This cues waiting, eye contact, body position, etc.
6. The person with the mallet answers the question posed previously, then can continue with their own question.
This can be fun! It is great with a group to work on listening skills; you have to listen for your name to be called, etc. What about your family doing this to ask about what happened at school/work instead of normal dinner table conversation? What would your children think about that?
Try it out. :)
~Blessings! Mary
1. Choose an appropriate drum size. The drum should be able to be played independently without each person having to move or hold it. I like a free standing tubano or floor drum.
2. Place the drum between the two people conversing (or in the middle of a circle for a group intervention).
3. Use only one mallet.
4. The person who has the mallet is the one speaking. This individual can tap the rhythm of their speech pattern or simply play the macrobeat on the instrument. They can address a certain person by name and ask a question.
5. When they are done speaking/playing, the mallet is passed to the conversational recipient. This cues waiting, eye contact, body position, etc.
6. The person with the mallet answers the question posed previously, then can continue with their own question.
This can be fun! It is great with a group to work on listening skills; you have to listen for your name to be called, etc. What about your family doing this to ask about what happened at school/work instead of normal dinner table conversation? What would your children think about that?
Try it out. :)
~Blessings! Mary
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Book Review: "Acting Your Inner Music" by Joseph J. Moreno
After years of sitting on my music therapy bookshelf, I was recently motivated to read the book "Acting Your Inner Music: Music Therapy and Psychodrama" by Joseph J. Moreno. I must be candid up front that Joe Moreno was the director of the music therapy program at Maryville University Saint Louis when I was an undergraduate student. Therefore, the information in this text was a thorough review of information I learned directly from Joe in core curriculum music therapy courses.
The book provides a well-balanced overview of music therapy, healing, creative arts therapy, and psychodrama. The author is the nephew of Jacob L. Moreno, who originated the concept of healing psychodrama. The author describes his creation of an integrative form of therapy combining psychodrama and music therapy: musical psychodrama. Moreno defines musical psychodrama as "the integration of music improvisation, imagery, and other music therapy techniques with traditional actional psychodrama in order to realize an expanded approach that transcends the possibilities of either method used separately."
Creative arts therapies (music, art, drama, psychodrama, poetry, etc.) can elicit responses that verbal therapy techniques cannot. The nonverbal communication that improvisational music therapy can facilitate naturally leads the the enactment of psychodrama. Moreno describes in the book about techniques specific to psychodrama and music therapy, respectively, and then explains how the two can be linked together. He describes specific techniques that can be used in the music therapy setting including, musical role reversal, musical dialogue, musical closure, music and the divided self, musical modeling, and musical doubling. Moreno discussed how music can assist individuals in expressing their emotions more readily and with less inhibition than using words and language.
For me, this book was easy to follow and to understand both psychodrama, music therapy and their integration into musical psychodrama. However, I would advise that if there is no prior knowledge of either psychodrama or music therapy, the reader should gain a general knowledge of both before delving into this advanced text.
The book provides a well-balanced overview of music therapy, healing, creative arts therapy, and psychodrama. The author is the nephew of Jacob L. Moreno, who originated the concept of healing psychodrama. The author describes his creation of an integrative form of therapy combining psychodrama and music therapy: musical psychodrama. Moreno defines musical psychodrama as "the integration of music improvisation, imagery, and other music therapy techniques with traditional actional psychodrama in order to realize an expanded approach that transcends the possibilities of either method used separately."
Creative arts therapies (music, art, drama, psychodrama, poetry, etc.) can elicit responses that verbal therapy techniques cannot. The nonverbal communication that improvisational music therapy can facilitate naturally leads the the enactment of psychodrama. Moreno describes in the book about techniques specific to psychodrama and music therapy, respectively, and then explains how the two can be linked together. He describes specific techniques that can be used in the music therapy setting including, musical role reversal, musical dialogue, musical closure, music and the divided self, musical modeling, and musical doubling. Moreno discussed how music can assist individuals in expressing their emotions more readily and with less inhibition than using words and language.
For me, this book was easy to follow and to understand both psychodrama, music therapy and their integration into musical psychodrama. However, I would advise that if there is no prior knowledge of either psychodrama or music therapy, the reader should gain a general knowledge of both before delving into this advanced text.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)