The Ingredients of Focused Music Imagery

My partner is multi-talented, and I'm grateful that one of his specialties is marketing. We’ve spoken about my practice on several occasions and I’ve shared that I find it difficult to explain my Focused Music Imagery practice to potential clients in a concise way. As a kind gesture, he offered to help me visualize my practice. Some days later, he presented me with a piece of paper (which I had folded for safe keeping until writing this blog).

His idea was to break down the components of a Focused Music Imagery (FMI) session, illustrating the different dimensions of a client's experience. There, on the paper, were key words that can help demystify the FMI experience for potential clients. But what do these words actually mean in the context of a FMI session? Given the various interpretations that exist, I think it’s worth exploring their nuances and how they apply to FMI.

In FMI, the therapist develops a talk-over, or verbal script, using the client’s words and their desired focus for the session. In this way, it is unlike a traditional guided meditation which is usually scripted for, instead of with, the person experiencing it. The premise of FMI is that the client knows best what they need, and that by using the client’s own words and intentions, the therapist can best serve them in connecting with their inner wisdom.

While FMI is not defined as a somatic (body-based) therapy, tuning into bodily sensations is very much part of the experience. To help prepare the client for an FMI session, the therapist begins with some brief verbal prompts to encourage relaxation, inviting the client to be aware of their body, to feel grounded, and to connect with their breath. This lays the groundwork for the client to be able to observe their internal experiences in response to the music and any imagery that arises. The therapist assists the client in connecting with their focus through inviting them to notice where they may feel it in their body. Shifting out of a thinking experience and into a feeling experience primes the client to expand their awareness of their senses, allowing imagery to form.

Music is a central feature in this approach. An FMI session will involve a single piece of music to reflect the client’s focus, chosen by the therapist in collaboration with the client. The intention of the music is to hold the client’s focus as well as to stimulate imagery, with verbal support from the therapist. As the function of the music is to “hold” the client, the music itself should have a clear and repetitive theme, without too much complexity, major changes, or surprises, which can shift their client out of their focus and internal experience. Typically music without lyrics is chosen, however music with vocalizations or lyrics in unrecognizable languages can be used, as long as the music does not compete with the therapist’s voice.

FMI is administered by a therapist who is trained to respond to specific clinical issues that a client brings to a therapy session. FMI can assist clients in coping with life transitions, relationship challenges, depression, or anxiety, tapping into their inner wisdom to validate their experiences and imagine new possibilities. This method is not recommended for clients who are experiencing psychosis, as they may be unable to distinguish music imagery experiences from real life.

While visualization can be a common way to experience imagery, it is possible to image through any of the senses. Each person’s imagery experience is personal and unique. Frequently, personal associations and memories can arise when hearing music, whether familiar or new. While the therapist can assist the client in making meaning from their imagery, the client is ultimately the interpreter of their own experience.

FMI is a client-centered therapy. As shown in the above image, YOU are at the center of this experience.

If you’re curious to learn more about FMI, I invite you to explore my website and to get in touch with questions.