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2008 ACSW Annual Conference, Edmonton, 2008 ACSW Annual Conference, Edmonton, Workshop 39Workshop 39
Presenter: Peter Chan, M.A., R.S.W.Presenter: Peter Chan, M.A., R.S.W.Date: March 15, 2008Date: March 15, 2008
Time: 8.30 – 11.30 a.m.Time: 8.30 – 11.30 a.m.
Old Melodies, Old Old Melodies, Old MemoriesMemories
Introduction
• A social and support group for Chinese seniors in Calgary
• A new approach to work with people
• Use of songs, music and group dynamics
• Members to talk about the past associated with a melody
• Emotional satisfaction
Music Therapy
• Definition by Canadian Association for Music Therapy:
“The skilful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.”
Music Therapy (cont’d.)
• Definition by Sandra Cornies, Music Therapist:
“The structured use of music experiences to facilitate positive changes in human behaviour.”
Cornies’ Definition (cont’d.)
• Positive Changes in human behaviour:
“music therapy aims to help people develop skills that have to do with overall development and personal growth.”
Workshop Time Management
• 1st hour: information on the approach
• 2nd hour: report on groups
• 3rd hour: practice session and discussion on the application of the approach
Assumptions
• One or a few melodies may have special meaning to a person
• Such melodies, usually old melodies, are associated with some special life events, life situations of a person and exist with the memory of that situation
• The power of such melodies in triggering and bringing back those memories
Memories
• Different with individuals
• Special meaning for each person
• Happy ones, interesting ones
• Sad ones , traumatic experience, losses
• Sweet ones
• Feelings associated with such memories
Memories (cont’d.)
• Memories trigger emotional responses
• Memories bring back associated feelings
• Emotional satisfaction through reminiscence
Assumptions (cont’d.)
• Given the opportunity, people are willing to share their stories and experience, to look back, to “evaluate”
• Satisfaction through expressing feelings
• Making meaning of emotions through articulating and sharing
Assumptions (cont’d.)
• Mutual support through sharing
• Mutual support in a group setting through its dynamics
• Mutual support has positive effect on the individual
Purposes
• To encourage seniors to share their stories and express their feelings
• To help seniors make meaning of their life events through memory integration (Daniel Siegel)
• To facilitate seniors achieve ego integrity (Erikson)
• To promote mutual support among seniors• To promote social networking
Memory Integration
• Daniel Siegel• Implicit puzzle pieces of memory taking
the form of perception, feelings , bodily sensations, and behavioural impulses
• Woven through mental process to produce new clusters of explicit factual and episodic memory
• Creating a coherent narrative of one’s own life through bilateral integration of brain
Bilateral Integration of Brain
Siegel
• Left hemisphere – narrator function (linguistically articulate the on-going story of one’s life), factual memory
Bilateral Integration of Brain (cont’d.)
• Right hemisphere – utilizes imagery, emotion and references to the self, storing “the goods” of own autobiographical memories
• Memory integration - integrating the left and right helps to make sense of our lives
Making Meaning of Life
• These explicit forms now have a sense when recalled, that something is coming from the past.
• Making meaning of their life
• Source: Siegel, D.J. (2007). The Mindful Brain. New York: W.W. Norton & Company
Developmental Tasks Re-cap
Basic Trust vs. Mistrust
Autonomy vs. Shame, Doubt
Initiative vs. Guilt
Industry vs. Inferiority
Developmental Tasks Re-cap (cont’d.)
Identity vs. Identity confusion
Intimacy vs. Isolation
Generativity vs. Stagnation
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
The Approach
• Small group of less than 15 people
• 8 weekly sessions each of one and a half hours duration
• In each session, 5 group members will each introduce one chosen melody for the group to listen to
The Approach (cont’d.)
• The chosen melody (song or music) should be of special meaning to that member
• 5 members pre-arranged before meeting for presentation
• Members can read the lyrics while listening to the songs introduced
The Approach (cont’d.)
• The member will then share his/her story, experience and feelings associated with the melody
The Approach (cont’d.)
• Contents of sharing:– what makes the melody special and
impressive to him/her– Time and social background of the experience– Events and people – Related thoughts and feelings
The Approach (cont’d.)
• Can show related photos or objects at the same time
• Other members will respond to the presentation
• Group facilitator will make remarks
The Groups
• A joint project between Calgary Family Services and the Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association (CCECA)
• Co-facilitated by a worker from both agencies
The Groups (cont’d.)
• Recruitment through CCECA
• Technical and preparation work, e.g., arranging presenters, preparing lyrics sheets and slides, operation of audio-visual systems
The Groups (cont’d)
• 2 groups- in Cantonese ( meeting weekly from
August 10, 2006 for 8 consecutive weeks)- in Mandarin ( meeting weekly from May 17, 2007 for 8 consecutive weeks)
• Venue – audio-visual room, CCECA• Meeting time – 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.• Nature - Social and support group
The 1st Session
• Ice-breaking
• Explaining group purposes
• Setting up guidelines and rules
• Demonstration by facilitators: e.g., study in England; Christmas in Calgary
• Arranging presenting members for ensuing sessions
The Groups (cont’d.)
• Activities
- listening to the melodies and stories introduced by members, sharing and comments by other members and
facilitators
- Singing together
- dancing, changing partners
Group Compostion
• Group composition
- 12 members in each group
- male and female
- age range: 65 to over 80
Group Composition (cont’d.)
- Cantonese group members mostly from Hong Kong
- Mandarin group members mostly from China and Taiwan
Melodies Introduced
• Chinese songs in the 20s, 30s and 40s
• Popular songs from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan after the 50s
• Chinese folk songs
Melodies Introduced (cont’d.)
• Cantonese opera songs
• Chinese ballad accompanied by three Chinese musical instruments
• English songs
Stories Shared
• Big and important life events, e.g., escaping from the war zone; immigration
• Happy moments, e.g., dancing party in Hong Kong
Stories Shared (cont’d.)
• Unhappy times, e.g., death of husband, separation
• Regrets, e.g., receiving no education; loss from immigration
Stories shared (cont’d.)
• Achievements, glorious past, success through hardship
• Relationships : with spouse, lover, parents, children, grandparents, teachers, friends
Stories Shared (cont’d.)
• Maternal love and life without mother
• Influence of mother and father
• Own life stages esp. childhood experience
• School life
Stories Shared (cont’d.)
• Patriotic thinking and behaviour
• Traumatic life experience, e.g., fleeing from persecution during war and political movements
• Coping with predicament
• Beauty of homeland
Achievement Through Group
• Expression of feelings, emotional release
• Opportunity to tell and share own story
• Expression of view on life– Life philosophy e.g., peaceful life, no fights– Importance of family– Importance of friends– Importance of education
Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)
• Getting support and inspiration
• Increased self-understanding, self awareness
• Reframing, changing attitude
• Confirmation and recognition
Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)
• Enhancement of sense of worth, positive self-image
• Making sense of life
• Ego integrity, confirming contribution, no despair
• Becoming happier
Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)
• Mutual sharing: echoing of experience; sharing of joy and happiness
• Opportunity to show concern and support to others
• Treasuring mutual support
• Friendship, closer relationship among members
Achievement Through Group (cont’d.)
• Getting some knowledge of the society, people and events of certain periods in history in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Canada, U.S.A. and Europe
Evaluation By Members
• All were satisfied with the arrangement, group format, facilitators’ work and the entire group experience
• Suggested to have more group members
• To run such groups again
• The group experience has provided them with a memorable good time
Evaluation Of The Approach
• Purposes achieved
• Increased communication and friendship among members
• Effective in working with Chinese seniors
Role of Facilitator
• Group planning, recruitment, facilitating meetings and evaluation
• Preparation
Role of Facilitator (cont’d.)
• During the group session- encouraging participation- promoting mutual support- promoting interaction- provision of related knowledge and information- reframing- providing support
Summing up
• New approach, new attempt
• Use of old melodies to bring back memories
• Meeting emotional needs
• Use of group dynamics to provide support to and effect changes in individuals indirectly and ‘spontaneously’
• An effective approach
Workshop Practice Session
• 14 volunteers from the participants to form into 2 groups of 7 members each
• 1 group will demonstrate a short meeting of 15 minutes while the rest will be observers
Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)
• 1 member from each group will be the presenter and 1 member will act as the facilitator
• The presenting member can choose the song to introduce his/her stories associated with the song from the songs played
Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)
• Songs will be played
• The presenting member will choose a song and introduce his/her stories for 5 minutes max.
• The facilitator and other group members can respond together for 10 min.
• The entire audience will discuss for 5 min.
Workshop Practice Session (cont’d.)
• Then demonstration by the 2nd group to repeat the above process
• Discussions on the demonstrations and practice difficulties