THE THERAPY
The Music Therapy for Addiction, by Michel Labaki, aims at preventing relapse, and comprises a total of 8 weekly sessions, each lasting 1h15mins. A session can host 8 to 12 participants that should have already spent at least 2 months in the rehabilitation center. Upon completion of the program, the participants are rewarded a certificate that testifies to their participation in the sessions, and hence to a successful completion of the Therapy.
Procedure:
- The participants are informed of the rules pertaining to their privacy and the strict restrictions concerning sharing any session occurrences with non-participants, in-or-outside the rehabilitation center.
- The sessions are themed, objective-focused, and take place in a multisensory-designed room.
- The room’s light, temperature, and the music played during the session are manipulated according to the objective(s) and theme set.
- The music is produced by Michel Labaki himself; its levels of frequency differ from session to session, and its overall design is catered for the session’s objective(s).
- Each session is assisted by an observer specialized in clinical psychology; the observer takes notes throughout, which remain accessible to the patient, as well as to the concerned professional team treating the participant.
Objectives:
During and by the end of the therapy, the patient will be able to:
- Define and express his feelings and personal insights verbally and/or non-verbally.
- Better control and shift emotional states to more positive ones.
- Use coping and relaxation skills through breathing techniques.
- Better concentrate.
- Efficiently communicate in a social setting.
- Be more independent.
- Demonstrate better problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
- Express self-awareness and environment-awareness.
- Feel motivated to pursue his treatment.
- Demonstrate physical wellbeing.
- Better resolve conflicts with his closed ones.
- Strengthen family and peer relationships.
Today, Michel Labaki’s method has proven successful in achieving such objectives with more than 250 male participants over the last five years.