Master of Arts Thesis – Concordia University

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MA in Creative Arts Therapies (Art therapy)

Title:

The path to art therapy: a heuristic arts-based inquiry on my career choices, a decolonial feminist reflection

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Abstract: This heuristic arts-based inquiry (HABI) aims to bring to light the authors’ process of finding her career choice, to become an art therapist while living in a male-oriented society that constantly influences career decisions for women. Through this self-reflection, informed by decolonial feminist theories (Lugones, 2011; Segato, 2015), the author provides a space for herself and an invitation to the readers to cultivate compassionate cultural humility, explore the influences of socio-cultural values and pressures in career choices and reflect on the influences of privilege and oppression within this decision-making process. In the author’s case, she resisted the mandate for masculinity (Segato, 2016) by choosing the stronger side within her academic interests: psychology – neurocognition, drifting away from her true-self: art and being a helper. Through an intricate path she found art therapy. While conducting the literature review, the author kept a narrative and visual journal where she proposed five questions framed within Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model (1979/1992). The author answered the inquiries using the Five Whys technique (Pojasek, 2000). These answers were used as prompts to create a series of artwork responses. The researcher reflected on her personal experiences about her career path and the possible cultural patriarchal influences through this process. The author grew up in Mexico City and locates herself as a Latina, multi-ethnic, middle-class, cis-gender woman. Through this research, she found that the narrative of women's minoritization (Segato, 2010) enforces oppression to all minorities, and post-colonial practices of land exploitation detriment mental, spiritual, and community well-being.

Keywords: cultural humility, career choices, art therapy, decolonial feminism, masculinity mandate, patriarchy, minoritization.

 Blog collaboration for Convergence Initiative

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Title: 

Brain Songs, a unique Jazz concert where we learned about Music Cognition

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The latest Convergence Art-Sci Sci-Art conference, Brain Songs, presented on June 20th 2019, took the form of a unique concert that also taught the audience many things about Music Cognition. What was most exciting about this concert/conference? It took place at the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre of the famous Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital: “The Neuro”. The concert marked the first time that this world-renowned institution, where top-notch music cognition research is produced, hosted actual musicians who made music at a neuroscience conference for the general public.

 

Together, Dr. Nicolas Farrugia (Associate Professor at IMT Atlantique, France) and Christophe Rocher (Ensemble Nautilis) have developed a personal research project to explore the subjectivity and neural states of musical improvisation. The concert/conference the audience enjoyed at the Neuro represents how this project comes to life. 

 Blog collaboration for Convergence Initiative

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Title: 

Brain Songs, a unique Jazz concert where we learned about Music Cognition

​

The latest Convergence Art-Sci Sci-Art conference, Brain Songs, presented on June 20th 2019, took the form of a unique concert that also taught the audience many things about Music Cognition. What was most exciting about this concert/conference? It took place at the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre of the famous Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital: “The Neuro”. The concert marked the first time that this world-renowned institution, where top-notch music cognition research is produced, hosted actual musicians who made music at a neuroscience conference for the general public.

 

Together, Dr. Nicolas Farrugia (Associate Professor at IMT Atlantique, France) and Christophe Rocher (Ensemble Nautilis) have developed a personal research project to explore the subjectivity and neural states of musical improvisation. The concert/conference the audience enjoyed at the Neuro represents how this project comes to life. 

Aritcle – Psychiatria Danubina

Title:

Holistic approach on the neurological benefits of music

authors Lily Jiménez Dabdoub and Jenn Caterall

 

Abstract: A holistic perspective on human beings allows health carers to achieve an understanding of all the physiological, psychological, and social disturbances of the patient as a whole. Through this article we wish to focus on how music has holistic neurological benefits. Music-therapy interventions can be more accessible and even “self-managed” by the patient’s relatives. They can reinforce social cohesion, family ties and patients’ self-esteem and thus produce a better quality of life. Overall, it is important to consider the benefits that an evolutionary understanding of musical behaviour and a holistic clinical perspective of the role of music may bring for rehabilitation of a wide range of symptoms and conditions.

Key words: music – therapy – neuroscience - holistic approach

 

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Master of Science Thesis – Goldsmiths University of London

MSc in Music, Mind and Brain

Title:

Facilitation of motor learning through melodies

Bachelors Honor’s Thesis – National Autonomous University of Mexico

BSc in Psychology

(original text in Spanish)

Title: 

Psychology and music towards a state of the art of neuropsychological rehabilitation in aphasic patients through music

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Psicología y música hacia un estado del arte de la rehabilitación neuropsicológica en pacientes afásicos a través de la música

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Abstract: Language is a cognitive skill that distinguishes human beings from other species. Sometimes language may be affected by different disorders like aphasia, which commonly results from craneoencephalic trauma. New research in neuropsychological treatments has sowed the efficacy of music therapy for the recovery of certain linguistic skills in aphasic patients. In the present work, we offer a holistic view of the interaction between Neurosciences and neuropsychological rehabilitation. A state-of-art review was done to explore the implementation of music to treat aphasia and the way in which this field of research and its application has evolved. 41 articles were selected following a series of criteria and they led to the conclusion that the preferred intervention method was MIT (Musical Intonation Therapy). The importance of interdisciplinary work is pointed out, one in which the perspective goes beyond the mere neurological rehabilitation of the patient; instead, it should be inclusive and provide patients, as well as their social environment, with the best tools for their reintegration and self-acceptance.

Keywords: psychology, music, state-of-art, aphasia, rehabilitation, neuropsychology, Melodic Intonation Therapy

Textbook designed for Mexican High School education 

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Title:

Basic Thinking Skills. Focus on competencies for High School

Authors: Lilian Dabdoub Alvarado and Lily Jiménez Dabdoub