Beat The Odds: Therapeutic Drumming Circle for Children

Beat The Odds is a drumming circle that was developed at UCLA to be utilized as a socioemotional development program. It is at the intersection of group therapy and drumming circles. 

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Children love Beat The Odds. It is fun, interactive and a way to express oneself creatively. It is an engaging intervention that allows for a full-body experience with multisensory input instead of traditional therapy.

 

Beat The Odds includes interventions for the following:

Team building through rhythmic activities               

Developing empathy and compassion 

Leadership skills                                                              Expressing gratitude

Developing awareness of self and others           

Enhancing communication         

Expression of affect/feelings                                    

Stress reduction

Learning affect modulation                                       

Self-regulation  

Enhancing social skills                                                   Sharing/collaboration

Positive affirmations                                                    

Positive risk-taking

 

It is facilitated drumming utilized as a healing modality. It’s not just about drumming. It’s about connection and community.

 

Beat The Odds is an evidence-based AND trauma-informed treatment.

 

Research done by researchers at UCLA “BTO can significantly reduce a spectrum of behavioral problems in children, such as behaviors related to inattention, withdrawn/depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, and sluggish temp (Ho, Tsao, Bloch, & Zeltzer, 2011)” (From uclartsandhealing.org/services/professional-development/beat-the-odds-drumming-program/, 4.3.19).

 

 

 

Referral Information: 

Beat The Odds: Therapeutic Drumming Circle

 

Where: Chrysalis Behavioral Health Services and Training Center

When: Tuesdays 4:10-4:50 pm (40 minutes) 8 sessions

 

If you have a child you feel may benefit feel free to refer for future groups. 

 

Who to refer:

• Children with a diagnosed mental/behavioral health diagnosis (i.e., anxiety, depression, ADHD, oppositional or defiant disorder, bipolar, adjustment disorder, etc.)

• It is a mixed gender and mixed diagnosis group for ages 7-12 years.

 

Participants need to have a diagnostic assessment (which may be done at Chrysalis Behavioral Health or another clinic/agency). This allows us to bill insurances. Each potential participant will need to be seen for at least one individual therapy session with parents/guardians present to discuss current diagnosis, symptoms and treatment and to discuss whether the drumming circle would benefit him/her.

 

Refer to Chrysalis Behavioral Health Services (701) 809-5370. Staff will set up the initial appointment and get ROIs for intakes/records for billing purposes.