Planet Cap Blog

A powerful process of self-discovery

Catégorie : ARTICLES

CAP Method for Emotional Problems

By Barone Holistic Experts, le 19.06.2023

As holistic natural health experts, our mission is and always will be to have a holistic approach to human health.

As healthiness is much more than the simple lack of symptoms, feeling « ok » does not equal being healthy. It is, therefore, our duty to look beyond the symptoms to the root cause of problems to reveal and address them.

Real health can be described has a state of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but it is also:

  • A healthy living environment, abundant with nature, pure air and water, sun, healthy and varied foods
  • A personal, social, and professional life with maximum fulfillment and minimum stress and injustice
  • A life in harmonious coexistence and interdependence with all forms of life around us
  • An individual and collective fulfillment

For every patient that walks through our doors, this is the goal we are aiming at.

On this path toward healthiness, the patient is the ultimate decision-maker every step of the way.

Holistic natural health care is, above all, a proposed service, an extended hand to the patient to offer him support, knowledge, council and solutions.

To do that successfully for each patient, we must, as holistic natural health experts, find all the efficient tools available in the natural medicine realm. This is how we came across the Catharsis Application Program (CAP method).

CAP method is part of the different solutions we can propose for people suffering from psycho-emotional problems.

The fundamental of addressing any emotional problems is first taking care of the body and the mind. Both are intimately related to emotions. The body especially as it is where we store all our excessive energy, whether it comes from mental overload or bad-negative emotions.

As the saying says, « We got issues in our tissues. » This is why, to have a successful and lasting result, we must have a holistic approach with a synergy of different treatment methods.

Once we have addressed the body and the mind, it is essential to use specific methods to target the patient’s emotions. This is where we like to use various tools, including the CAP method.

CAP is a unique method composed of free drawing/painting while listening to a specially composed music.

The most significant advantage of CAP compared to other solutions for emotional problems is that it is very intuitive and non-intrusive.

The patient is free to explore his inner self without judgment or human guidance; he can just let the music guide the exploration of his emotions, memories, and traumas through his pencil or brush.

In a sense, it reminds us of young, traumatized children who are unable to speak up and use drawings to express their reality and emotions.

For most of us, drawing stopped at preschool, and yet it is a formidable tool of expression that goes way beyond words. It is also an incredible way to clear our minds, connect to our emotions, and travel through our memories and imagination.

In the case of CAP, the uniquely composed music plays a crucial role in easing drawing down on paper emotions and traumas, especially for people that are not comfortable with drawing. 

This is followed by an in-depth interpretation by a trained professional, who can extract the essential messages drawn by the patient during the sessions.

This journey takes place over 3 months, one session per week.

This allows the patient to take the rhythm of introversion to dig out:

  • repressed emotions
  • traumas
  • pains
  • emotional blockages
  • etc.

It is suitable for all ages and nearly all psycho-emotional problems. Additionally, it can be done in individual or group sessions.

This method is truly innovative with its synergy between the unique music, the self-expression through drawing, and the in-depth interpretation by the CAP professional.  

In our experience, we have seen clear benefits in patients embarking on this adventure.

Among the different positive effects, here are the most frequent ones we saw:

  • Emotional relief
  • Ability to accept and digest unresolved traumas
  • Shedding light on undefined emotional problems
  • Awakening of creativity

This process can be repeated, if necessary, at different stages.

Almost everybody carries some emotional load and traumas in today’s society, full of stress, injustices, toxic relationships, and traumatic experiences.

Prescriptive natural medicines like phytotherapy and aromatherapy are excellent for treating the physical and biological part of the problem, but it is capital to have specialized tools like the CAP method to address the psycho-emotional side as well.

Finally, it must be said that the CAP method is also responding to a growing need for alternatives to classical psycho-emotional care.

Indeed, many people suffering from psycho-emotional problems are tired of regular psychotherapies and the use of chemical drugs. It is often not a sustainable solution and doesn’t give them the understanding and freedom to improve their health.

Worse, some people have been even more traumatized by intrusive and directive methods, worsening their psycho-emotional problems and creating a loss of self-confidence.

For us, as holistic natural health experts, the CAP method is an excellent alternative to those conventional methods and is also a great tool for self-development.

By Barone Holistic Experts, le 19.06.2023

À PROPOS…

Barone Holistic Experts is a distinguished team of three highly skilled natural healthcare professionals. With certifications in Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, they possess a collective experience of over 50 years.
Their primary focus is on delivering personalized treatments and creating comprehensive long-term plans that enable individuals to achieve optimal health. They prioritize the unique needs of each client, striving to provide the best possible results.

Renowned as pioneers and authorities in alternative therapies, this team has gained a well-deserved reputation. Through their combined expertise and collaborative efforts, they offer an extensive range of solutions to their clients. 

These include homeopathy, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, reflex methods (Auriculotherapy, Sympathicotherapy, Reflexology), manual techniques (Osteopathy, Tui Na, Reboutology, Trigger point, Fascia therapy), Nutrition and micro nutrition, and many more.

Beyond their clinical practice, they are deeply committed to educating their clients about holistic health. They empower individuals by educating them on how to improve their well-being through dietary choices, lifestyle modifications, and mindful life decisions.

Psycho-Emotional Therapy

CAP is a breakthrough therapeutic method used in healing emotional trauma and behavioral challenges.  We are announcing to mental health professionals worldwide the launch of CAP for Professionals online training courses in the Catharsis Application Program (CAP), a Psycho-Emotional Therapy methodology. 

CAP is a unique combination of structured music, creative expression and projective tests comprising a powerful way to treat emotional and mental health conditions with outcomes that are both rapid and dramatic.  It has been shown to trigger marked memories and responses in people with cognitive conditions.

http://www.planet-cap-pro.com/cap-program-overview.html

To see CAP in action, to explore its benefits, and to learn about professional training options, visit our website at:  http://www.planet-cap-pro.com

There is a world-wide movement for psychologists, psychotherapists, clinicians to use artistic mediation as a therapeutic tool in both institutional psychotherapy and private practice setting.  Using music and art as a medium for communicating emotions is considered as effective as talk therapy.  CAP is one of the most establish in the field of psycho-emotional therapy using music & art as a therapeutic model. 

Backed by 40 years of empirical evidence and clinical application, CAP is reinventing emotional healing.  It is a gentle, flexible, non-confrontational, experiential therapeutic approach that helps patients and therapists safely explore repressed emotions and feelings.  Utilizing music to trigger a catharsis, the therapy method allows the expression of fears, conflicts, and feelings for emotional liberation.

CAP is an innovative healing process for children, adolescents, adults, couples, veterans, and the elderly in any clinical or field environment.  

Visit our website and learn more:  http://www.planet-cap-pro.com

daniel-dessin

Music as Medicine: a Case Study in Autism

I am glad to share with you this interesting case study written by Dr. Janis Gruska, N.D. about the interest of Catharsis Application Program (CAP) in Autism.

 » Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can’t.  » (Johnny Depp)

Since time immemorial, music as a meaningful vibration has been infused into human culture to express feelings and evoke emotional release.1 The concept of “sacred sounds” has been used since primeval times by indigenous cultures and ancient civilizations. It was believed to be capable of healing both the body and the soul. Although for a time in modern history, music was relegated to entertainment, and healing to medicine, since World War II the health benefits of music have become more recognized in mainstream medicine. In 1996, the World Health Organization recognized music as a form of healing therapy.

Music is rooted in the primitive brain structures that are involved in motivation, reward, and emotion. Review of neuromusical research reveals that the brain consists of a widely distributed neural system with locally specialized areas in the cognitive, affective, and motor regions.2 More than any other stimulus, music has the ability to evoke images and feelings that may not necessarily be directly reflected in memory.

GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF ASD

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition characterized by developmental delays, abnormal social skills, communication difficulties, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. These issues can range from mild to severe in presentation.

Approximately 1% of the world population has ASD; the prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births.3 This exponential rise in the past 25 years has greatly impacted both the family unit and society at large.

CATHARSIS APPLICATION PROGRAM – CREATIVE THERAPY FOR ASD

The Catharsis Application Program (CAP) is an innovative therapeutic methodology based on receptive music induction associated with graphic expression. This process helps the client explore their emotions and feelings, utilizing music to trigger a cathartic phenomenon. The cathartic function of the music brings past traumatic experiences to the surface, thereby allowing the release of emotions. Graphic expression allows the individual to break through mental barriers without triggering the self-protective mechanism.

The Catharsis Application Program is a 12-session process, unfolding over a 3-month period in 1-hour weekly contact sessions. Each session is implemented with well-defined conditions and therapeutic character to maximize the healing effect of the music.

Using CAP as an artistic mediation gives each individual the opportunity to be an active participant in their own progression toward change. The therapeutic program mobilizing one’s emotional resilience always leads to behavioral changes. It enhances social skills, the capacity of verbal expression, improves the mood, stimulates the memory, and creates new spatial-temporal patterns.

UTILIZING CAP IN AUTISM – A CASE STUDY

Daniel is a 7-year-old boy who was diagnosed with kidney failure 2 weeks following a premature delivery. His condition required extensive medical intervention including dialysis. As a result of his condition, he experienced developmental delays, leading to the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. He lacked bowel control at this time.

Daniel was being seen by a speech pathologist at the Integrated Therapy Solutions (ITS) in Los Angeles, CA. His family was introduced to CAP as an adjunctive therapeutic intervention to the speech therapy. After consent was given to participate in the program, a 13-week schedule was established.

CAP SCHEDULE

For Daniel, the program consisted of the following activities:

  • Week 1: Initial speech and language assessment
  • Week 2: Initial CAP session without music. This first reference drawing without music (Figure 1), will serve as a basis for comparison during the final evaluation.
  • Week 3 to 12: Ten music sessions with graphic expression
  • Week 13: Final CAP session without music. The final reference drawing (Figure 5) was performed with the same criteria as in the initial evaluation. It serves as a basis for comparison during the final evaluation.

Participants use specific drawing materials selected for the program. Each musical selection has an archetypal theme selected in a predetermined sequence during the program. Assessments of the drawings are conducted within the context of the series, as well as individually.

The following 5 drawings (Figures 1-5) have been selected to illustrate the transitions which took place during Daniel’s program.

Figure 1_ Daniel reference drawing 1

Figure 1. First Drawing, Without Music

Daniel used a lot of water to express his unhappiness and his unhealthy emotions. The type of lines expressed in the drawing displays much anger and aggressiveness as if he was using the paper to externalize all his repressed feelings. His mother did not believe that he would be able to hold a pencil, but what we observe is Daniel using all his energy to completely fill the space. There is a lot of black and brown color that reveals his insecurity. The colors green, yellow, and orange are crossed with black or brown as if he was announcing a possible path of release and liberation covered by anxiety and fears.

Figure 2_ Daniel session 7

Figure 2. Drawing from the 7th Music Session

This is a very important session for Daniel. The theme of this music is liberation of old patterns and alleviating the burden of unhealthy behaviors. The music helps one to feel in control and gives one the courage to leave what must be abandoned in order to find relief in the simple joys of life. The structure of the drawing suggests that Daniel is reconnecting to his healthy emotions: we have several heart shapes here, of which the big red one contains 1 green and 2 blue hearts.

Figure 3_ Daniel session 9

Figure 3. Drawing from the 9th Music Session

This music helps us to no longer be afraid of suffering, to feel that life is still here and full of love. This is the first drawing where we can really identify the forms of animals. The sun is present and we see great circles in front of each animal as if they were put there to feed everyone. It is as if Daniel takes care of his “inner inhabitants.” He helps each one to grow. He wrote his name in black in the upper left of the sheet, showing that he is cognizant of the process.

Figure 4_ Daniel session 10

Figure 4. Drawing from the 10th Music Session

The theme of this music refers to the growing confidence in the Universal Creative Movement, which brings our miseries into an evolving spiral, to transform them into the rocks that are the foundations of life. The drawing is separated into 2 parts by a line which is dark green. To the right of this line, nothing is drawn. It is like a new space, for a brand new story to begin for him. Daniel is now more connected to life. The colors brown and black are no longer displayed in this drawing. We have green, blue, yellow, and red. He wrote his name in blue. In the middle of the sheet is a red abstract image. He identifies an area of anger that needs to be seen; the sun is above this red aggressive pattern. There are many rays projecting from the sun, turned towards the right, the future. The speech therapist notes that unlike previously, he is able to go the bathroom when he is asked to do so.

Figure 5_ Daniel reference drawing 2

Figure 5. Final Drawing, Without Music

This drawing has exactly the same structure as the previous one, but with these important changes: 1) The line that separates the drawing vertically into 2 parts is now light green; 2) The right side is larger and it is no longer empty; 3) The sun is now placed on the right, and for the first time the rays of the sun extend to both the right and the left; 4) The central round shape is clearly identified as a prehistoric animal. We can see very clearly his paws, his eyes turned towards the future, the ridge of his back. It looks like a Stegosaurus. Archeologists believe that the bony plates evolved for protection and that this animal turned red to defend itself from predators. We see here the red color covering the animal, as if Daniel had now found sufficient defense mechanisms to cope with the things that he feared. He now invests in the right side of the sheet, that is to say the future. The blue and color forms on the right of the sheet show that something has reshaped in himself (blue is a masculine color).

CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS

Initially, without music, we see Daniel express anger and aggressiveness. His use of space reveals the externalization of repressed feelings, while the predominance of dark colors reveals his insecurity cloaked by anxiety and fears. As the musical sessions progress, we observe through his drawings that he begins to release anxiety and to reconnect to healthy emotions.

Daniel was initially very resistant to trying anything new. He preferred to stay at home and isolate himself. He was in 1st grade prior to the CAP program. He was mostly interested in picture books (intended for kindergarten-aged children). He would be resistant and struggled with any mathematical operation. He was very against trying to eat food through his mouth, which required nourishment to be delivered through a gastric tube. If food was placed in his mouth, he would spit it out immediately. He was frightened of animals and toys that made sounds. His pictures at the outset of CAP were predominantly 1 tone, 1 color, and fairly simple.

Following the program, Daniel gradually became more open and more responsive to the idea of going to new places and even trying new experiences. There was an increased desire to play with others. He was willing to play with toys that made sounds. Daniel expressed desire for his family to color together, and would insist that they do that as a group activity. He became more adaptive to experiencing new foods. He was eating more, which in turn accelerated his growth. While drawing, he gradually began utilizing many more colors and was freer in terms of expressing himself on paper. He was more excited and a lot happier to color and draw at home. At school his reading improved, and although he was still challenged with mathematical operations, he was less resistant to them. He transitioned to mainstream classes in the 2nd grade. His enjoyment of music grew over time, which prompted his enrollment in piano lessons by the time he was in 3rd grade. Although there were periods of regression, Daniel continued to improve, and eventually was transitioned into a normal classroom setting.

CAP IN THE NATUROPATHIC MEDICAL PRACTICE

We have examined how the music and expressive drawing experienced in the Catharsis Application Program can have a positive influence on emotions and behaviors. Children with autism spectrum disorder often find it hard to recognize and control their emotions. Interventions that can help them improve their emotional development can in turn help them understand and respond to others appropriately. Subsequently, the ability to engage in social activities, as well as quality of life, is enhanced. Additionally, the reduction of aberrant social behaviors and conduct problems relieves the stress often experienced by parents and caregivers.

Often, children do not have the language skill or depth of understanding required to express their pain. Music and drawings serve as an intermediate language between patient and practitioner, creating a relationship of communication through the expression of emotions in a non-verbal manner. The use of this innovative mind-body technique respects the principles of naturopathic medicine and is easily incorporated into practice either with individuals or in a group. It has been my experience that by embracing a therapy which is transformative and effortless in its application is not only a gift for your young patients, but for their families as well.

______________________________________________________

Dr Janis Gruska_Professional PhotoJanis Gruska, ND, is a 1991 graduate of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and is licensed in the State of California. Her medical practice focuses on the treatment of mental health conditions, utilizing therapeutics which support positive change through life transitions. She has been a medical consultant for the Catharsis Application Program since 2009.

Dr Gruska is trained as a professional facilitator by the founders of the Catharsis Technique, and continues to be instrumental in introducing the program to medical and mental health professional in the United States.

References

  1. Gouk P. Music Healing in Cultural Contexts. London, UK: Ashgate Publishing, Limited; 2000.
  2. Hodges DA. Implications of music and brain research. Music Educators Journal. 2000;87(2):17-22. Available at: https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/D_Hodges_Implications_2002.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2016.
  3. Christensen DL, Baio J, Van Narden Braun K, et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2012. Surveillance Summaries. 2016;65(3):1-23. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/ss/ss6503a1.htm. Accessed April 1, 2016.

Imagination

«We are such stuff as dreams are made» W. Shakespeare

Gilbert Durand, in the introduction to his reference book « The Anthropological Structures of the Imaginary« , wrote « Western thinking, and especially French philosophy, has a constant tradition of devaluing ontologically the image and psychologically the function of the imagination, that ‘mistress of error and falsehood’.

Classical psychology, contrary to what one might think, has not been any more positive regarding the imagination, which is still considered by some as the infancy of consciousness.

The imagination is thus devalued, the imagination is rejected and the richness of the image is minimized. In fact, images are analyzed as a by-product of our conscious life as an attempt to find a material basis for symbolic function and the unconscious. This diminution in the image’s significance tends to bring it into the field of consciousness through language and speech. Thus, the symbol – confused with metaphors, allegories, emblems and signs – loses its transformational power.

Another common practice in psychology is to define the imagination as an organizer of dynamic images. Dynamism that becomes the foundation of our psychic life and is a factor of cohesion, that is to say of harmony, strength and authenticity. The imagination is then no longer seen as a collection of isolated images – isolated from one another and without much coherence – but as a complex combination of elements which are all linked together. From this perspective, imagination – far from being a simple by-product, as some psychoanalysts would have us believe – is, instead, an energy that liberates and has a deeply cathartic function. Revealer of truths, it buries treasures and is the absolute place of creativity.

In light of these initial thoughts, it is easy to understand that, as Gilbert Durand wrote « to study ‘in concreto‘ the symbolic imagination one must embark resolutely on the path of anthropology by giving to this word its current full sense – that is to say: all the sciences that study the species Homo Sapiens … « 

By founding the Centre de recherche sur l’imaginaire, Gilbert Durand created a multidisciplinary movement that, still today, encourages and pursues the anthropological position he himself had chosen – namely, to study symbolism from a psychoanalytic, psychological, sociological, historical, biological, mythological, poetic, and artistic point of view.

It is clear that all researchers who base their method on this approach are led to question the connections – both antithetical and complementary – between imagination and rationality, between dream and reality. All come to the same conclusion – that the imagination is the basis for the construction of our societies, our institutions, our family models, the artistic expression of an era, how man thinks of himself, our scientific models… in a word – our cultures.

Gilbert Durand’s hypothesis, and that of those who continue his work, is that we are bathed in an imaginary world, a climate, an atmosphere which pervades us and determines what we are. Our education (schools and parents), our culture and our political and cultural institutions imprint thought patterns upon us that we accept as reality.

If, as individuals, we do not develop an awareness of the imagination of our age, we do not think of life, we are thought by it. And we shall not succeed at finding the solution to our malaise, our suffering, our questions in the place where we can actually find it – namely, within ourselves.

We are currently at a crossroads. We belong to a so-called modern civilization (from the 17th century to the 20th century) that, like all those preceding it, has come to an end without the one which will eventually replace it having yet fully emerged.

Walter Benjamin, a German philosopher, wrote: « Each epoch dreams the following one. » But is that dreaming actually ours? If one does not attempt to seek meaning and understanding of their mental evolution, the new culture may emerge without our participation.

The new era will be more technological. It may be one of « transhumanism » which promises an improved, more powerful man. But, as powerful as they become, humans continue to be thought of by this new civilization – therefore to suffer without any real awareness of what they really are. They thus escape this beautiful mission of becoming humans that are fulfilled, caring and creative.

In the transition phase in which we live, the discrepancy between what is experienced by each individual and what is conveyed by our institutions (political, cultural, media) is at its peak. Yet the soil of another future is formed through awareness, societal organization and different groupings, thanks to the Internet. Jung in the early 20th century wrote: « When a culture has reached its peak, sooner or later appear the seeds of its destruction. The seemingly senseless and distressing breakdown of a multiplicity without order or direction, capable of inspiring disgust and despair, contains in its dark bosom the seeds of a new light. »

So, in response to any technological age that is taking shape, I propose, in this blog, to find certain basics through myths, stories, legends, symbols and archetypes. All this material, in fact, feeds our dreams, the place where reside the seeds of eternity that could well grow into the magnificent trees of our future.

« We are such stuff as dreams are made » wrote Shakespeare in his play ‘The Tempest’. The world may well be, in its turn, a reflection of our dreams. Therefore, let us have more just and fair dreams without letting the slumber of our carelessness engulf our inspiration.

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