Since switching my art career over to the doll and Reborn art doll world in 2017, I have had the honor of seeing that these "dolls" as many people only see them to be, are more than just collector dolls to many of my customers. They can help, aid, and bring healing to those struggling with a multitude of mental health issues. I have been honored to hear the stories of how the dolls I create have helped a loved one, or the buyer work through a trauma, or find therapy in holding and having them in their lives. I am so very thankful to get the chance to provide dolls for several Alzheimer's therapy groups and also private individuals for their loved ones.
For info and private orders for therapy dolls, please contact me- please note the subject matter to: Reborn Therapy Dolls
heathermcbrideart@yahoo.com
In the doll world, there are those who just simply love dolls and love to collect them, and then there are those who find them useful as therapy tools, for various issues.
Reborn doll therapy is a new and growing tool for assisting in many therapy and mental health programs. Reborns have been proven to help in a multitude of mental health therapy programs for issues with PTSD, pregnancy and infant loss, depression, and Alzheimer's. There are many ways dolls can be therapeutic for someone battling Alzheimer's or dementia. As humans, we have the instinct to nurture. We want to show affection, give love, and receive love. That need doesn’t go away, even as memories deteriorate with dementia for example. Mental-health experts say this kind of deep emotional connection between a grieving person and a reborn can be useful — whether they’re grieving a child who died or the one they cannot have. “For some women, the fantasy of a baby is powerful, and having the reborn doll allows them to indulge in this fantasy more powerfully,” Dr. Gail Saltz, an associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School, told the Cut. “During those moments they feel a contentment that eludes them in real life.”
Doll therapy can be a very effective way for a person with Alzheimer's or any kind of dementia to decrease stress and agitation. Holding something like a baby doll can be calming and soothing in itself and is a great non-medicating way of calming an agitated patient. Dolls can provide comfort and companionship and they have been shown to improve communication. A doll can help a person who is not verbalizing to initiate speech again. It is part of the basic thought process to speak, hum, or sing to a baby in your arms. Many residents sing to our babies, that's one of my favorite interactions!
Often times memories spark when a doll is placed in the arms of someone with Alzheimer's. Patients remember details about their own children when they were young, often bringing instant happiness and joy.
I was very honored to share a story from an amazing reborn artist who is very involved in reborn therapy online her page is called Reborns with Reason /Jaime Beede -with her permission given to me, I wanted to share below an excerpt from her Instagram page with her interaction with one of her therapy patients.
IMAGINE being told that one specific resident you visit has zero interest in any activity, other than your reborn doll sessions.
IMAGINE being told that she fights with staff who try to get her up and out of bed each day.
IMAGINE being told that due to a Covid outbreak she has been isolated for the past six weeks.
Now IMAGINE being told that after your last doll therapy visit, this woman attended the musical entertainment session that followed, and she actually sang along.
IMAGINE the power and magic of doll therapy that flipped that switch for her and allowed her to have her best day yet.
I don’t have to IMAGINE. This is my reality. ---------------------------------------------------
I hope this little bit of info and sharing about one artist who works directly with reborns for therapy in the senior community will help shed some light on the many great benefits of using reborns as therapy. As I mentioned they also are wonderful tools for PTSD, pregnancy/infant loss, depression, and stress reduction as well as a multitude of other issues. I am always happy to work with any therapy groups, clinicians, and group therapy leaders if they are in need of therapy grade reborns. I have worked with many therapy program leaders with direct connections to Alzheimer's therapy and pregnancy loss group therapy teams. I am also always happy to talk with customers who are caregivers seeking a reborn for a loved one and / or one for their own needs. I am honored to help in any way that I can and offer my dolls very often at a lower price for such needs as I feel everyone deserves to have something in their life that brings them joy and healing. I can be reached at any of my social media message platforms or at heathermcbideart@yahoo.com, if you are in need of more info on therapy reborns, or to inquire about purchasing a reborn for your needs.
Links are below to more Infor about reborn therapy.*Credits for the info listed above go to Paradise Gallery's info on therapy reborns and to Reborns with Reason - Jaime Beebe for allowing me to share her interaction story with one of her reborn therapy clients. Also, photo credit to lovewhatmatters.com
Examples of therapy reborn dolls: When creating therapy reborns, no magnets are used for pacifiers as with traditional collector-reborn dolls. This is done to protect patients with pacemakers. I also varnish and seal in paintwork with 4 layers to protect the doll's paint as therapy dolls are handled much more often. I can create them with painted hair or hand-rooted mohair/alpaca hair depending on the request of the patient and their family. I also seal in rooted hair with multiple layers of adhesive to make the doll more durable for regular handling and use.
This style of reborn has a cloth body, with movable arms and legs, they are great for weighted bodies and are very cuddly.
This therapy reborn is a smaller size, about 16" and 3 lbs, and is easy for patients with issues holding items to handle and hold.
This is a 17" traditional newborn-size doll and is commonly used in therapy programs, she has rooted hair.