Enhancing the Calm Place technique in special education through Music and Imagery: A pilot study

The Calm Place technique is an imagery-based stabilisation strategy used to support emotional regulation in children experiencing distress in school settings. This study examined whether integrating a Music Imagery-based intervention into the Calm Place technique enhances sensory engagement, imaginative detail, and emotional connection in children attending special education programmes. Eight elementary school students participated in three individual sessions. Session 1 involved the Calm Place technique without music, followed by a drawing and a verbal description of the imagined environment. In Session 2, AI-generated images based on each child’s initial description were presented alongside a selected music track within a Music and Imagery framework. In Session 3, a music listening intervention was applied; preparatory instructions were provided before music listening to facilitate internal exploration of the Calm Place, followed by narrative recounting and a second drawing. Drawings and narratives were analysed thematically across sessions. Results suggested that Music and Imagery was associated with richer sensory, emotional, and relational dimensions in children’s safe place representations. Drawings in Sessions 2 and 3 demonstrated greater complexity and personal symbolism, while narratives reflected enhanced vividness, emotional safety, and relaxation. These findings indicate that Music and Imagery may enhance Calm Place interventions within special education contexts.