Graduate Diploma in Guided Imagery and Music

Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) is a receptive music therapy method that uses music in conjunction with relaxation techniques, visualisation and active imagination to treat grief, stress, trauma, chronic illness and palliative care.

This course provides advanced level training in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) therapy. It is designed for music therapy graduates and professionals from allied fields, who have completed introductory and intermediate courses in Guided Imagery and Music offered through the Music and Imagery association of Australia.

The course is delivered through a series of eight weekend intensive seminars (four each year) in February, May, August and November. In the intervening months between seminars, students will be involved in client practice sessions, in supervised sessions, in reading and written assignment work.

The course is approved by the Music and Imagery Association Australia (MIAA) and the Association for Music and Imagery (AMI) in the USA. Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the MIAA, recognition as Fellows of AMI and potential recognition as clinical members of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

On completion of the Graduate Diploma in Guided Imagery and Music, students will:

• Understand and be able to identify, use and evaluate concepts and principles of the GIM method;
• Have the knowledge of GIM music programs and an understanding of the effect of those programs on the well-being of clients;
• Have developed skills to identify goals to be achieved through GIM therapy and to be able to evaluate its effectiveness in achieving those goals;
• Have developed an understanding of common conditions and/or disorders in clients presenting for GIM therapy;
• Have studied research methods appropriate to GIM therapy and have carried out appropriate research;
• Have an understanding of the ethical responsibilities inherent in GIM therapy, particularly in relation to private practice settings;
• Be committed to enhancing the well-being of all clients.

The course structure over the 2 years requires:

• 8 subjects, comprising didactic teaching, seminars, group discussion, group consultations and group experiential work (a total of 184 hours class time).
• 100 client practice sessions of which 20 must be supervised by a Registered GIM practitioner.
• 20 personal experiential sessions in GIM which must be conducted by a Registered GIM practitioner.

Students undertake the following part-time course structure, over a 2-year period:

YEAR 1: Semester One

Total Points for Semester 1 = 25

Semester Two

Total Points for Semester 2 = 25

Total Points for Year 1 = 50

YEAR 2: Semester One

Total Points for Semester 1 = 25

Semester Two

Total Points for Semester 2 = 25

Total Points for Course = 100

A degree or graduate diploma in music therapy, with at least two years experience in a field of music therapy where counselling skills are practised (e.g. psychiatry, hospice work). Applicants with experience in another field of music therapy work will need to have completed units of a course of study in counselling skills, or psychodynamic theory or practice, as approved by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music;

OR

A tertiary qualification in a health field, and at least two years professional experience in which counselling skills are practised, and satisfactory completion of the Introductory (Level 1) and Intermediate (Level 2) course of study in Guided Imagery and Music or the introductory Certificate in Music and Imagery (offered through the Music and Imagery Association of Australia), with recommendation from the primary trainers of the Intermediate (Level 2) course. See www.musicandimagery.org.au for further information;

AND

Applicants will be interviewed to determine suitability for and commitment to the course of study, personal work in GIM, and the intensity of study.

For information on how to apply, please visit www.conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/graddipgim

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit.

University of Melbourne postgraduate coursework degrees seek to develop graduates who demonstrate a capacity for contemporary professional practice and/or specialist knowledge and theory. Postgraduate coursework degrees have multiple purposes. They are designed to provide students with the opportunity for advanced knowledge and understanding in a specialist area; to enhance professional knowledge and skills; and to engage with new and emerging fields of study.

The course is approved by the Music and Imagery Association Australia (MIAA) and the Association for Music and Imagery (AMI) in the USA. Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the MIAA, recognition as Fellows of AMI and potential recognition as clinical members of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

The University expects its postgraduate coursework graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• an advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area;
• an ability to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional literature in the discipline
• advanced skills and techniques applicable to the discipline
• well-developed problem-solving abilities in the discipline area, characterised by flexibility of approach;
• advanced competencies in areas of professional expertise and/or scholarship;
• a capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in oral and written presentations;
• an advanced understanding of the international context and sensitivities of the specialist area;
• an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of original research;
• a capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work;
• a profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship;
• an appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge equips the student to offer leadership in the specialist area;
• the capacity to value and participate in projects which require team-work;
• an understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge to the wider community (including business and industry);
• a capacity to engage where appropriate with issues in contemporary society; and
• where appropriate, advanced working skills in the application of computer systems and software and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies.