Melody Newcomb

Biography:

Melody Newcomb, MA, CCC, MTA, is a Music and Expressive Arts Therapist at the Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Node Funded Project (February 2023)

Title: Exploration of participants’ imagery regarding their addiction and hopes for recovery

Principal Investigator: Melody Newcomb, University of Manitoba

Co-investigators/collaborators:

Em Pijl, Denyse Blanco, Erin Knight, Mandy Archibald, Jess Winnicki University of Manitoba

Description:

A variety of education and support sessions are offered to inpatients of the Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba withdrawal management unit. One offering is a single-session arts-based group facilitated by an expressive arts therapist and a clinical resource nurse, designed to help patients explore self-expression through various art forms. The goal of these sessions is to provide support during the early stages of recovery, including acknowledging the impact of addiction on their lives and increasing motivation for treatment. The overarching research questions for this project are: (1) Does the creation and interpretation of images of addiction and recovery influence a patient’s commitment to sobriety as measured by the Commitment to Sobriety Scale-5 (CSS-5)? And (2) How does the creation and interpretation of visual images of addiction and recovery influence patients’ understanding of their addiction and recovery process?