And she's trained teachers to use drums in their classrooms. It works in conjunction with other therapy and treatment, he said.Įhorn also has worked with private therapists to use drumming with eating disorder groups. But Hermanson said the drumming helps people learn to self-sooth. Of course, it's not possible to always have a drum with you to ease stress. Participants leave drumming sessions with smiles, he said. "It's an outlet for people to express themselves in more unconventional ways," said John Hermanson, licensed clinical supervisor for Tehama County Mental Health. "It has been great for clients with depression and anxiety," Schultz said. State funding for innovative approaches was used to purchase about 30 drums, shakers and other percussion equipment, she said. Three therapeutic drumming groups have been started within the past year through Tehama County Mental Health, she said. "As I got into it, I found more and more people could be helped with this," Schultz said. "There are tears, and they are not really sure why they are crying ? Visualizing something that you want to release is very powerful," Ehorn said.Įlisabeth Schultz, a licensed marriage family therapist with Tehama County Mental Health, said she was somewhat skeptical when she signed up for the eight-week class Ehorn gave to introduce mental health workers to drumming for wellness. The echoing gives validation to the person who came up with the rhythm. One person creates a beat pattern and others in the circle repeat it. "You can hear hurt, you can hear happiness, you can hear sadness, you can hear loneliness, you can hear confusion." "It's a way of expressing yourself without words," Ehorn said. Participants use the drum to pound out patterns that reflect emotions. Her sessions include relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and guided imagery. She studied and mentored with Christine Stevens of Encinitas, a pioneer in drumming for health.Įhorn said research shows participating in a structured, facilitated drumming session boosts the immune system. She read and took workshops on drumming and wellness. "It took me on another path of not using the drum to teach patterns on, but using a drum to make people feel better," she said. Seeing the positive effects with her students, Ehorn started thinking about ways to take the power of drumming beyond the classroom. "It is a wonderful way for them to be included and feel empowered," she said. Students with autism, cerebral palsy and other special needs, join in too. They're part of a group and that makes them feel connected. Everyone is equal," she said.ĭrumming is something that is easy to pick up, so students feel good about themselves, she noted. "It was very motivating, especially for students not motivated anywhere else in school. The students were drawn to the drums, she said. Ehorn, who has been teaching for 20 years, started a world music drumming group with her middle-schoolers about eight years ago to teach rhythms from different countries. The drumming efforts are on top of Ehorn's regular job of music specialist for Evergreen School District in Cottonwood. "We hope that this is going to be a model that we can use for other community day schools or schools that have at-risk students," she said. Next up is a plan to work with a psychologist to see if students with severe emotional and behavior problems can be helped by being in a drumming group. In the past two years, Ehorn has led drumming workshops for educators, health care workers, mental health experts and the general public. "It's not really about music, it's about expressing," said Abbie Ehorn, facilitator of the session.ĭrumming to lessen stress, gain confidence and improve outlook is a strategy that's reverberating in Tehama County. Instead of worrying about getting the rhythms exactly right, she let go, joined in and enjoyed being in the moment. Pierce described herself as nonmusical, but that wasn't a problem. "This feels good," said retired nurse Barbara Pierce of Redding. Participants at a recent late-afternoon Beat Out Stress Workshop in Cottonwood arrived with various versions of the day, and then sat down to share the same ease-up strategy: Pounding on drums. A pet goat with a goopy eye.ĭaily stress takes different forms.
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