Melody Newcomb

Biography:

Melody Newcomb, MA, CCC, MTA, is a certified Music Therapist, Certified Canadian Counsellor, and has an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counselling-Expressive Arts Therapy. Recently retired, she is continuing her work through this research project in Addictions treatment. Her career includes group work with creative interventions. with children, teens, and adults as well as counselling individuals. She lives in Winnipeg.

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?