Participants of the R to the Power of Three (R3) Military Couples Retreat created a “found object” sculpture during one of the sessions.
“团圆, Re-Connect and Re-Build” is the theme for a unique service to help couples who are reunifying following military deployment of one or both spouses. Divorce rates of military couples following reintegration from deployment are well over average population correlations. 圣玛丽森林学院 (SMWC) partnered with the Indiana United Service Organizations (USO) to provide an opportunity for couples to grow back together after separation during deployment.
R to the Power of Three (R3) combined resources of the College’s strong undergraduate 和研究生s 音乐疗法 和研究生 艺术治疗学位 程序和 马辅助治疗未成年人. The pilot program took place on campus from July 24-26, 2015.
Five Indiana military couples who are reunifying following deployment were hosted in the retreat-like setting of the College to explore their relationships through music, art and equine sessions and wellness practices. The experiential nature of these activities helped participants better understand themselves and their partners through non-verbal channels. 音乐, art and equine assisted services rely on “sensory processing,” a more primary level of cerebral processing than verbal/cognitive communication, 建立联系. These principles were used to help returning military personnel rebuild relationships with their partners in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere.
听了查尔斯·里丁斯的演讲后, 印第安纳州劳军组织的执行董事, 在商会会议上发言, SMWC 总裁多蒂·金博士.D. initiated conversations about how The Woods could partner to deliver a unique program.
“毫无疑问，这是我们音乐疗法的专长, 艺术治疗, 马治疗, and Wellness Programs could benefit the USO and the many women and men who have served and continue to serve our nation,蕾切尔·莱斯利说道。, SMWC首席对外关系官. “不久之后, the USO and SMWC had an angel sponsor out of Indianapolis who encouraged us to be creative. The request was for a program that could allow couples to re-connect and retreat to The Woods utilizing our talented faculty and unique resources.”
SMWC的教职员工——包括吉尔·麦克纳特, ATR-BC, ATRL, LPC的, operations director and assistant professor of art therapy; Kathy Gotshall, ATR-BC, LCSW, director and assistant professor of art therapy; Tracy Richardson, Ph.D., MT-BC, professor and director of master in 音乐疗法 program; Christine Wilkey, LSW, ACSW, associate professor of human services; Jenn Kersey, director of events and strategic programs; and Susan Dolle, director of grants development – teamed up to ensure a meaningful weekend for the participants. 另外, art and 音乐疗法 graduate students as well as equine assisted therapy undergraduate students gained valuable first-hand experience by assisting in the program.
“It was an honor and privilege to meet and work with the military participants as they explored their relationships in an honest and creative way,Gotshall说。. 他们挑战自己，重新建立联系, rebuild and renew in positive ways to make a better future for their families and the teams they lead.”
在不同的会议上, 参与者制作意愿石, 雕塑, and studio art in an art session; experienced assisted relaxation and collaboratively wrote a song in music sessions; and groomed a horse and completed a relationship-building activity in equine sessions.
威尔基解释了这个练习, 声明, “Each couple led a horse through a course of obstacles, which they labeled to represent their own concerns and goals. This experience opened discussions about the daily challenges of life as a military couple and how they work together to reach shared goals.”
The couples were housed in the Guest House on the 67-acre rural campus. 整个周末, participants also had the opportunity to attend a yoga class and explore the beauty of campus. The pilot program was successful according to not only the participants but also those who helped facilitate the weekend.
“The partnership between SMWC and the Indiana USO is a valuable one,” states Richardson. “The participants all embraced and appreciated the experience.”
While the couples requested privacy, faculty and staff observed positive reactions.
周末过后, the two comments from the group were: ‘Great opportunity to reconnect and refresh,’ and ‘We entered The Woods broken and left with a sense of renewal and reconnection,’”莱斯利解释道。.