mind balance
 therapy, support & personal development
 

GIM therapy

"The process is wonderfully healing in its own right...    but as I was soon to discover it is also an incredibly powerful catalyst for continued transformation in your life." H.W., Cardiff, Wales

G.I.M stands for the Bonny Method of Guided
Imagery with Music therapy.

The first point to make about this therapy is
that the power and efficiency of the technique
is hard to put into words, quite simply because
the heart of the session is a non-verbal experience. However the information on this page, and on the rest of the website, is designed to give you as good a picture as possible so you can see if it is the kind of approach that you may be looking for.

Here is some basic information to start with:

> Why chose GIM therapy?
> Who can be helped?
> What happens in a session?
> Common Misconceptions
> Contra-indications


Why chose GIM therapy?

For anyone looking for emotional and psychological support or a structured form of personal development and growth, GIM therapy has a lot to offer.

Often working on a deeper level than conventional talking therapies, GIM therapy can get to the heart of the matter effectively and efficiently.

Although our minds are wonderful instruments, sometimes talking over and over the same thing doesn't help us go beyond a cognitive and rational understanding of ourselves. Usually, the root cause of situation or issue lies at a deeper level - within our emotional and psychological makeup.

GIM therapy provides the tools, the access point, for working at this deeper level and provides a way in which we can tune in and listen to the emotional part of ourselves - to our own emotional and body intelligence.

Saying that, it is not for everyone and if you are looking for support on a purely verbal level then you can find a link to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) on the links page.
 

Who can be helped?

GIM therapy can be of benefit to the vast majority of people. Here are a few examples:

>> Healthy professional adults needing a short phase of support or personal development

>> Those who are depressed, stressed or anxious and don't know why
    (or do know why but can't seem to change)

>> Those who feel disconnected from life or sense a tension in the body that just doesn't
     feel right

>> Survivors of traumatic experiences or those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

>> GIM therapy is also ideal for students training in a therapeutic field (eg. psychotherapy,
     counselling, arts therapies...)

What happens in a GIM therapy session?

A usual GIM session lasts somewhere between one and a half and two hours. The structure of the session is as follows:

1. Talking - a chance to check-in and establish a focus at the start of the session

2. Guided Relaxation - a progressive, muscular relaxation tailored to your specific
energy levels and the agreed focus for the session

3. Music Travel - a carefully selected programme of music is played that is designed to help elicit feelings, reflections, body sensations or images. The music usually lasts around 30 to 40 minutes during which time the therapist will check-in with the client to see what is happening and take a log of any reported experiences

4. Discussion - the therapist and client discuss the experience before closing

A few common misconceptions


1. "I find it hard to relax"

Don't worry - it is the therapist's job to help and specifically tailor the relaxation for you. Sometimes, it is actually more powerful not to try to relax but instead to practise being with however the body is feeling and investigating this through the support of the session.

2. "Is it like hypnotherapy?"

Not really. There is no suggestion during the relaxed phase of the session and so the mind is free to explore its own healing process by way of emotions, memories or images.

In fact this is one of the things that makes GIM therapy so powerful, the idea that the mind, emotions and body have a built-in intelligence and know what they need to do. A GIM therapy session just gives the space and support for this process to work.

3. "Does it actually work?"

Yes - in my experience most people say that 'it doesn't feel like therapy' and yet the benefits are measurable and long-lasting (see the research section).

Many people that have experienced GIM therapy say that 'it reaches parts that other therapies just don't reach.'

Why not find out for yourself and book a GIM taster session which is covered by a money-back guarantee.

Contra-indications

Although GIM therapy may benefit a great many people, there are a few conditions which are contra-indicated. These are serious mental health problems, psychosis or neurological conditions.

Adaptations can be made for some patients with non-severe mental health symptoms and assessments for suitability are made on a case-by-case basis.