Petra Kovács is a complex arts therapist, music therapist, and certified RGM master therapist who primarily works with music as a therapeutic tool. As a result, she has long been interested in methods that use music therapeutically. This is how the Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM) captured her attention. She has been working with the method for four years and, as one of the pioneers introducing RGM in Hungary, she also trains other therapists in the method.

More About RGM

The Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM) is an innovative rhythm- and music-based neurological rehabilitation intervention.

RGM uses multisensory input — visual, auditory, kinesthetics, and tactile stimuli — to stimulate neuroplastic processes in the nervous system through the power of music. Its goal is to stimulate cognitive and motor functions (such as memory, concentration, executive functioning, coordination, balance, and motor skills), while also supporting the development of body awareness, self-esteem, and social abilities.

RGM is used, for example, in stroke rehabilitation, dementia care, ADHD, autism, and learning disorders, but it is also a useful tool in primary education and in supporting healthy aging.
Source: Pohl, Petra 2018

The Ronnie Gardiner Method is therefore a multisensory therapeutic and developmental approach that stimulates the nervous system and trains neural pathways through rhythm and music. The essence of the method lies in simultaneously engaging auditory, verbal, visual, tactile, and movement-based stimuli. It develops motor and cognitive abilities, memory, and concentration.

“What excites me most about the method is that it combines the physical, emotional, and cognitive effects of music with its creative possibilities.”

RGM can be used by teachers, special education professionals, and therapists, each adapting its tools to their own field of work. Petra, as a therapist, applies the method in a therapeutic setting, utilizing not only its developmental aspects but also its emotional and relational dimensions. In this therapeutic perspective, the focus is not only on the body, but also on the individual’s coping abilities.

“We try to achieve a mode of functioning that moves beyond blockages. The client has a difficulty that prevents them from living a fulfilling life in their own way — whether in relation to school expectations or family dynamics — and from fulfilling their own role within those contexts.”

According to Petra, RGM therapy offers individuals a present-moment experience of their own coping strategies: what throws them off balance, how they react to disruptions, and how they attempt to manage challenges. These experiences foster self-awareness and support building on strengths while developing weaker areas.

“It is part of a process. First, the person arrives and begins to feel safe. Then they allow themselves to consciously experience and understand their emotions in a way that is only possible within the therapeutic space. And then I see them taking these experiences back into everyday life, returning with stories about situations they have begun to manage and make decisions about.”

Encountering RGM

Demonstrations and introductory sessions related to the Ronnie Gardiner Method can provide interested participants with deeper insight into the method through their own personal experiences. For Hungarian events and programs, it is worth following the Ronnie Gardiner Method Hungary page.

RGM can be used both in groups and individually, and each format has its own advantages. No prior musical background or confidence is required, since the method is built on simple, music-based techniques that harness the effects of rhythm and music. One of the method’s strengths is that it can progress from very simple tasks to highly complex ones, allowing therapists to create individualized therapeutic plans adaptable to many different goals and needs.

For example, in groups focusing on learning abilities (“dys-” prevention programs), emphasis is placed on maintaining tempo (following the rhythm of the music), as well as developing memory, reading skills, and fine motor abilities (through drawing-based tasks). Participants are also trained to maintain and redirect attention within the intentionally “chaotic” group environment. Petra additionally teaches rest and self-regulation, helping participants recognize the bodily sensations associated with intense concentration and identify what they personally need in order to recover — whether movement or complete relaxation. The complexity of the tasks can continuously increase, variations can constantly be introduced, and because the rules are always evolving, participants remain actively engaged throughout the process.

RGM is fundamentally a neurological developmental method, but therapeutically it offers much more than that: it supports self-awareness, helps individuals move beyond emotional or behavioural blockages, strengthens coping skills, and provides experiences and tools within the therapeutic space that help individuals gain greater control over their lives.

Zsoldos Rebeka, volunteer of the Pro Juventa Foundation, interviewed Petra Kovács.

#RGM #Pro Juventa Foundation