Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) in Psychotherapy | Ontario

How music, imagery, and the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) can offer another way to explore emotions, trauma, and experiences that are difficult to put into words.

Have you ever understood something deeply and still felt stuck?

Maybe you know where your anxiety comes from. You can identify the childhood experience that still affects you. You have talked about your relationship patterns, your burnout, or the belief that you are never doing enough.

You can explain it.

You might even be able to explain it really well.

And yet something doesn’t seem to change.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t trying hard enough or that therapy isn’t working. Sometimes it means that understanding an experience through words is only one part of processing it.

As a psychotherapist and accredited music therapist providing virtual therapy across Ontario, this is one of the reasons I sometimes incorporate music, imagery, and other experiential approaches into psychotherapy—approaches that involve actively noticing, feeling, imagining, creating, or doing, rather than relying only on conversation.

One of the more specialized approaches I use is the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM).

But before getting into what the Bonny Method is, it helps to understand why we might use music and imagery in psychotherapy in the first place.

We Don’t Experience Our Lives Only Through Words

Think about the last time a song unexpectedly brought you back somewhere.

Maybe suddenly you remembered a car you used to drive, a person you haven’t thought about in years, or exactly what it felt like to be 16.

You didn’t necessarily decide to retrieve that memory.

The music brought something forward.

Our experiences can involve thoughts and stories, but they can also involve:

• emotions

• body sensations

• memories

• sounds

• images

• movement

• sensory experiences

• associations

• metaphor

• feelings that are difficult to name

Research on music-evoked autobiographical memory has found that music can be a particularly powerful cue for personally meaningful memories.

This doesn’t mean every song contains a hidden psychological message that needs to be decoded.

It does mean that music can give us another way of accessing and noticing our experience.

Sometimes the Words Come Later

One of the questions therapists ask all the time is:

“How does that make you feel?”

It’s a useful question.

It can also be surprisingly difficult to answer.

You might know that something is happening without being able to identify exactly what it is.

Maybe you notice pressure in your chest.

Maybe your thoughts suddenly become very fast.

Maybe a particular image keeps coming to mind.

Maybe you know that you are uncomfortable but can’t tell whether you are anxious, angry, ashamed, overwhelmed—or some combination of all four.

Or maybe the most accurate answer really is:

“I don’t know.”

There is a name for significant difficulty identifying and describing emotional states: alexithymia.

Alexithymia can occur in many different people, but research suggests it is particularly common among autistic people and is also associated with trauma and PTSD.

Importantly, difficulty putting an emotional experience into words does not mean that the experience isn’t there.

For some people, therapy may work better when we don’t insist on finding the perfect emotional label first.

We can start somewhere else.

What are you noticing?

Is there a colour, memory, image, sensation, or movement that fits?

Did anything change when the music changed?

The language can come afterward.

Music, Imagery, and Neurodivergent Therapy

Neurodivergent people do not all process emotions in the same way.

Some people think primarily in words, some with images.

Some notice emotions first through physical sensations, and others might experience

very intense emotions but have difficulty identifying them in the moment. It can take time for some people to know what they think or feel.

Sensory processing, interoception, attention, and emotional awareness can all affect how someone experiences traditional talk therapy.

Research with autistic people, for example, has found substantial differences in alexithymia and emotional awareness. Studies of autistic people’s experiences with music have also described music being used for emotional regulation, identity, connection, and well-being.

None of this means that autistic or ADHD people need music therapy.

It also doesn’t mean every neurodivergent person loves music. Some people find particular sounds distracting, overwhelming, or unpleasant.

A neurodivergent-affirming approach isn’t about deciding that one intervention should work because of someone’s diagnosis.

It is about having more than one doorway into the work.

Instead of expecting you to process everything in the way psychotherapy has traditionally been structured, we can pay attention to how you process experience most naturally.

If ADHD, executive functioning, emotional regulation, or burnout are part of what you’re navigating, you can also learn more about my ADHD Therapy for Adults approach.

What About Trauma?

Trauma is another area where people can sometimes become frustrated with purely verbal processing.

That doesn’t mean talk therapy can’t help trauma. There are several highly effective trauma therapies that involve significant amounts of talking.

But traumatic experiences are not always remembered like an ordinary chronological story.

People may experience:

• intrusive images

• sensory memories

• emotional reactions

• body sensations

• fragmented memories

• strong reactions to sounds, places, smells, or situations

• feelings that arise before they understand what triggered them

Research on PTSD and mental imagery supports the importance of these nonverbal and sensory aspects of traumatic memory.

There is also substantial research into imagery-based psychotherapy.

For example, imagery rescripting—an intervention used in several forms of trauma therapy—has been studied for PTSD and other conditions involving distressing memories. Meta-analyses have found meaningful reductions in symptoms, with some research finding outcomes comparable to established interventions such as exposure-based treatments and EMDR.

This doesn’t mean that imagery rescripting and Guided Imagery and Music are the same treatment.

They aren’t.

What it helps demonstrate is something broader:

Therapeutic change does not have to happen entirely through verbal analysis.

Imagery itself can be a meaningful part of psychological treatment.

Music-based interventions have also been studied with people experiencing PTSD, with systematic reviews finding promising reductions in symptoms. The evidence base is still developing and varies considerably in quality, so I wouldn’t describe music therapy as a replacement for established trauma treatments.

Instead, I see music as another therapeutic medium we can use when it fits the person and the work.

Chronic or overwhelming stress can also have significant effects on the nervous system, particularly when a person has limited opportunities for safety, recovery, or support. These experiences do not always fit neatly into how people imagine “trauma,” which is one reason a trauma-informed approach can be useful without requiring you to decide whether your experiences count.

You can learn more about how trauma, chronic stress, and nervous-system responses may affect you on my Trauma-Informed Therapy in Ontario page.

What Is the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM)?

The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, often shortened to BMGIM or GIM, is a specialized form of music-assisted therapy developed by music therapist Helen Bonny.

Unlike simply listening to relaxing music, the music is intentionally selected and becomes an active part of the therapeutic experience.

A full Bonny Method session generally begins with conversation.

We might talk about what has been happening lately, something you are struggling with, or a theme that feels important.

We then identify a focus for the music experience.

I help you settle your attention and become comfortable, and then we begin listening to carefully selected music.

As the music unfolds, you notice whatever emerges.

That could include:

• images or imagined scenes

• memories

• emotions

• physical sensations

• colours or shapes

• thoughts

• metaphor

• movement

• imagined conversations

• a sense of being somewhere

• shifts in energy or attention

• or something that is difficult to describe

And importantly:

You Do Not Have to Be Able to Visualize

When people hear guided imagery, they sometimes assume they’re supposed to close their eyes and see a vivid movie.

Some people do.

Many don’t.

“Imagery” in this work is much broader than visual pictures.

You may notice a sensation.

A feeling.

A word.

A memory.

A sense of movement.

An idea.

Or simply that one section of music affects you differently than another.

There isn’t a correct way to experience it.

What Does the Therapist Do During Guided Imagery and Music?

I’m still there with you.

During a traditional Bonny Method experience, you can describe what you are noticing while the music continues.

I may ask a question or gently invite you to stay curious about something that seems significant.

But I’m not interpreting the experience for you.

If you imagine a forest, I’m not going to announce that forests represent your childhood.

If you see the colour red, there isn’t a chart somewhere telling us what red secretly means.

The meaning comes from your associations and your experience.

I might ask:

What is the forest like?

How do you feel being there?

Do you want to move closer or farther away?

What happens when the music changes?

That curiosity allows the experience to unfold without forcing it into a predetermined interpretation.

Then We Come Back to Words

This is an important part of the process.

Music and imagery don’t replace conversation.

They can change where the conversation begins.

Instead of:

Explain the problem → analyze it → try to feel differently

the process may sometimes look more like:

Experience → notice → explore → reflect → find language → make meaning

After the music ends, we spend time talking about what happened.

Sometimes something immediately makes sense.

Sometimes it raises new questions.

Sometimes an experience is emotionally significant but difficult to explain.

Sometimes the most useful observation is surprisingly simple:

“I didn’t realize how exhausted I was.”

“I felt angry before I felt sad.”

“I kept trying to rescue everyone in the imagery.”

“The moment the music became unpredictable, I wanted it to stop.”

“I felt safe for a few minutes, and I didn’t realize how unfamiliar that feeling had become.”

Those observations can then become part of the psychotherapy.

What If I Already Intellectualize Everything?

This is one of the situations where experiential approaches can sometimes be particularly interesting.

Insight is valuable.

But insight and change aren’t always the same thing.

You can understand:

“I learned to keep everyone happy because conflict felt unsafe growing up.”

and still automatically panic when someone is disappointed in you.

You can know:

“Rest isn’t something I need to earn.”

and still feel guilty every time you stop working.

You can identify:

“That belief came from my parents.”

and still have the belief show up as though it is unquestionably true.

When someone is very skilled at intellectual processing, therapy can occasionally become another place to explain themselves brilliantly.

Experiential work gives us an opportunity to become curious about what happens underneath the explanation.

Not because thinking is bad.

But because sometimes the mind already understands something that the rest of the person hasn’t quite caught up with yet.

Does Music Actually Affect Emotional Processing?

There is growing research supporting the use of music in emotional regulation and psychological treatment.

A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that music-based activities produced meaningful improvements in emotion regulation. Broader reviews of structured music interventions have also found benefits for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotional well-being.

Again, this doesn’t mean that putting on a playlist is equivalent to psychotherapy.

Context matters.

The therapeutic relationship matters.

How the music is selected matters.

And what we do with the experience afterward matters.

In therapy, the question isn’t simply:

“Did this song make you feel better?”

It might be:

“What did you notice?”

“What changed?”

“What became easier or harder to access?”

“Where have you felt that before?”

“What do you understand differently now?”

Can Guided Imagery and Music Work in Virtual Therapy?

Yes.

Guided Imagery and Music has traditionally been practiced in person, but it can also be adapted for virtual psychotherapy.

Research specifically studying telehealth GIM is much smaller than the broader research on GIM, but studies suggest that meaningful therapeutic work can occur online while also recognizing that virtual and in-person experiences are not identical.

Virtual work can actually offer some advantages.

You may be able to:

• choose a comfortable chair, couch, or bed

• control your lighting

• use your own pillows or blankets

• adjust your environment to your sensory needs

• use headphones you already find comfortable

• remain in your own space after an emotionally significant session instead of immediately travelling home

For some neurodivergent clients in particular, having control over the sensory environment can be valuable.

There are also additional considerations.

We need adequate privacy.

We need reliable enough technology.

We need a plan in case the connection drops.

And before deeper experiential work, I want to know what helps you feel grounded and what support you may need after the session.

Those aren’t inconveniences around the therapy.

They are part of creating a safe therapeutic container.

Do I Have to Do a Full Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music Session?

No.

This is something I think is particularly important for clients to know.

I am a social worker and accredited music therapist, and I incorporate music into psychotherapy in various ways.

A full Bonny Method session is one option.

But we might also:

• listen to one piece of music

• explore the lyrics of a song

• notice your physical response to different music

• create a playlist around an emotion or period of your life

• use music alongside grounding

• use brief imagery

• improvise or create music

• write lyrics

• explore a memory connected with a song

• use music to explore different internal “parts”

• or not use music at all

You don’t have to commit to a particular modality.

We decide what makes sense based on what you are working on, what feels comfortable, and what seems useful.

The Goal Isn’t to Get Rid of Uncomfortable Feelings

Experiential therapy can sometimes be deeply relaxing.

But relaxation isn’t necessarily the goal.

Sometimes music brings up grief, irritation, or vulnerability.

Sometimes an unexpected memory or joy.

Sometimes absolutely nothing dramatic happens.

The purpose isn’t to force a breakthrough.

It is to create another opportunity to listen to yourself.

In trauma-informed therapy, I am also paying attention to pacing, choice, and your capacity to stay present.

More intense does not automatically mean more therapeutic.

There may be times when we stay with a very brief music experience rather than doing deeper imagery work.

There may be times when grounding is more useful than exploration.

We might decide that music doesn’t feel helpful on a particular day.

You remain part of that decision-making process.

You Don’t Always Have to Find the Words First

There is a phrase I keep coming back to when I think about why I integrate music into psychotherapy:

You don’t always have to find the words first.

Sometimes therapy begins with a story or a thought.

Sometimes it begins with:

I felt something when the music changed.

I suddenly remembered something.

My shoulders tightened.

I pictured myself standing somewhere.

I don’t know what I’m feeling yet—but I know something is there.

That is enough to become curious about.

And from there, we can begin finding the words together.

Curious About Music and Imagery in Therapy?

You don’t need musical training.

You don’t need to be creative.

You don’t need to visualize clearly.

And you don’t need to know whether the Bonny Method is the right approach before you start therapy.

Music is simply one of the therapeutic tools we can consider together.

For people who have spent a long time trying to think their way through something, adding music, imagery, body awareness, and other experiential approaches can sometimes create another pathway into the work.

Sometimes talking is exactly what we need.

And sometimes it helps to have more than words.

Explore Related Therapy & Resources

If some of the experiences described here sound familiar, you may also want to explore:

Trauma-Informed Therapy in Ontario — for trauma, chronic stress, burnout, nervous-system overwhelm, and experiences that continue to affect you in the present.

ADHD Therapy for Adults — for ADHD, executive functioning, emotional regulation, overwhelm, and neurodivergent-affirming support.

5 Subtle Signs of Unresolved Trauma — a closer look at some of the ways unresolved trauma and chronic stress can show up in high-functioning adults.