Rhythm to Recovery: A Practical Guide to Using Rhythmic Music, Voice and Movement for Social and Emotional Development

Combining rhythmic music and movement with cognitive reflection and mindfulness, this comprehensive handbook shows how drumming and other rhythm-based exercises can have a powerful effect in individual, group and family settings.

Incorporating the latest research on how rhythmic music impacts the brain, this book features over 100 different exercises spanning five key developmental areas:

• social and emotional learning
• identity and culture
• strengths and virtues
• health and wellbeing
• families, teams and communities.

It offers a safe entry to cognitive reflection through fun, experiential rhythmic exercises and is useful for working in settings such as school, child and adolescent counselling settings, mental health and drug and alcohol interventions, trauma counselling and relational counselling. Important sections on the use of metaphor and analogy show how to reinforce experiential outcomes.

The book also contains helpful sections on working with specific populations, key facilitation skills and managing challenging behaviours. Downloadable resources such as evaluation forms, certificates and 52 session cards optimise the process of implementing this approach in practice.

Table of Contents

Foreword by James Oshinsky, Ph.D. Introduction. Part One: Theory, Research and Resources.

1. Why Rhythm?
2. The R2R Model.
3. Individual, Family and Group Applications.
4. Working with Specific Populations.
5. Less Talk & More Rhythm - Options for the Non-Verbal.
6. Counselling and Facilitation Skills.
7. Drum-Circle Facilitation Skills.
8. The Context.
9. Resources - What You Need to Get Going. Part Two: Games, Exercises and Applications.
10. A Rhythm Catalogue.
11. The Rhythmic Wave - Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation.
12. Sessional Themes and Rhythmic Exercises.
13. Rhythmic Movement.
14. Rhythmic Voice.
15. Five Key Analogies.
16. Additional Games and Exercises.
17. Reflective Practice and Evaluative Resources.
18. Further Reading. References. Appendices.

"In Rhythm 2 Recovery, Simon Faulkner has distilled years of successful, evidence-based practice into a comprehensive series of highly accessible rhythmic exercises and reflective starting points that will be a valuable addition to any therapeutic practitioner's toolkit. What's more, he has opened up the field of rhythm work in such a way that no prior musical expertise is needed to be able to use these exercises - making this accessible to therapists, educators and group leaders who may never have considered using rhythm in their work until now. Highly recommended!"
- Dr Jane Bentley, Specialist consultant, music in health care settings

"If you are now working with, or ever planning to work with, any type of at risk population in schools, behavioral centres, hospitals, drug and alcohol rehabs, mental health rehabs, trauma services, prisons or child protection services, then you cannot afford to miss an opportunity to learn from the body of work Simon Faulkner provides in this new book."
- Arthur Hull, Village Music Circles, CA

"Over the past several years Simon Faulkner has trained a large number of our school counsellors in using rhythmic based interventions. This model has been of great value for them in both individual and group work. The manual and the cards are easy to follow and very practical. My team have had great success working with children, adolescents, older people and residents in rehabilitation centres. The versatility of the Rhythm2Recovery model makes it suitable for use with a variety of ages and presentations - from students who are very anxious and withdrawn to those that have difficulty with emotional regulation and substance abuse. Everyone benefits from drumming - the participants are able to address issues and communicate while having fun and the facilitators enjoy it too."
- Virgina Banks, Senior Team Leader, School Counselling Programs, Catholic Education, Sydney