The “VocaMom Group” Model
Using Maternal Voice in Community Music Therapy Group for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v26i1.4362Keywords:
voice, groupwork, mother, intellectual disabilities, community, sound envelopeAbstract
This reflective paper explores the impact of engaging with the maternal voice through a community music therapy group model named the “VocaMom Group” model, for intellectually disabled students. The model aims to empower students’ “self” sense, enhance attachment processes, and foster social connections among peers. The model comprises six weekly 45-minute sessions. Four core sessions consist of students listening to pre-recorded interviews in which their mothers are the interviewees, culminating in a song each mother dedicates to her child, sharing emotions, and concluding with photos sent to the mothers. The model is guided collaboratively by a music therapist, school consultant, and special education Information and Communications Technology teacher, each fulfilling defined roles. The article explores the model’s components through vignettes, theoretical reflections, and research. Most students responded with emotional engagement and relational growth, while a few showed complex reactions that required sensitive facilitation and further integration within the therapeutic setting. The article supports the positive impact of a mother’s vocal presence. Rooted in intrauterine experiences, the mother’s voice is vital for the development of the “self.” Drawing on psychoanalytic concepts such as the “sound-object” and “sound envelope,” the article highlights how listening to the maternal voice often resonates not only as a verbal message but also as a deeply musical and affective experience, capable of evoking embodied responses that transcend language. Ultimately, the “VocaMom Group” model offers a structured yet flexible therapeutic approach that helps students connect with their inner world, their families, and their social environment—supporting a deepened sense of belonging and self.
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