The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music: Exploring Healing Through Sound
How music can open the door to deeper self-understanding and emotional healing
Key Point
The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) uses carefully selected classical music to help clients access emotions, memories, and insights that may be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone—making it a powerful tool for trauma healing, self-discovery, and growth.
What Is the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music?
When words aren’t enough, music has a way of reaching us. The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) is a unique approach to therapy that uses carefully selected pieces of classical music to open the door to your inner world.
Developed by music therapist Helen Bonny, PhD, this method combines deep listening, relaxation, and imagery to help people access emotions, memories, and insights that can be difficult to reach in everyday life. Rather than talking about your experiences from the outside, GIM gives you the chance to step into them through music, allowing for healing, release, and new understanding.
How It Works
Relaxation/Grounding: A session begins with a guided relaxation or grounding exercise to help you enter a receptive or altered state.
Music Listening: While lying down or reclining with eyes closed, you listen to a specially chosen classical music program. The therapist supports your journey with gentle prompts and encouragement.
Imagery Process: The music often evokes images, memories, sensations, or emotions. These experiences are described out loud in the moment, creating a collaborative exploration or engagement.
Integration: After the music ends, you and your therapist reflect together on what came up through conversation, journaling, or artwork so that the experience can be meaningfully integrated into your life.
Why Try GIM?
The Bonny Method can be especially helpful for those who:
Want to go beyond traditional talk therapy
Feel “stuck” in old patterns or stories
Carry unresolved trauma, grief, or emotional pain
Long for a deeper sense of connection to themselves or their spirituality
Are curious about how music can support healing and personal growth
Because the music and imagery reach deep layers of consciousness, many people describe BMGIM as transformative, unlocking new perspectives, releasing long-held emotions, and reconnecting them with hope, creativity, or peace.
GIM and Trauma Healing
For survivors of childhood trauma, GIM can provide a safe, supported space to access and work through emotions that may not surface in ordinary conversation. The music serves in a variety of ways, including as both a container and a guide, allowing difficult experiences to be approached with more gentleness and perspective.
A Journey Worth Taking
The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music offers a way to safely explore your inner world with music as your guide and a therapist alongside you. Each session unfolds differently, reflecting your own experiences and what you need in the moment.
If you’re curious, I invite you to reach out for a consultation and discover whether GIM might be the next step in your healing journey.
📍 Available in-person in Pittsfield, MA • Online in PA, CO & DE
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About the Author
Christopher Morrison is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Nationally Board-Certified Music Therapist. He has
specialized training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), EMDR, the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery & Music, and
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. As the owner of Mind & Melody Therapy Services, he works as both a psychotherapist and music
therapist, helping adults heal from childhood trauma and reconnect with their inner child. His approach fosters self-compassion,
emotional healing, and personal growth.
