Ingrid Zuijdervliet
Visio – The Elizabeth Kalishuis
“Visio – The Elizabeth Kalishuis in Huizen (NL) is a care center for clients with visual impairments and mental disabilities. We use the Crdl to help our clients relax and stimulate interaction between them. Throughout a day they often build up tension from the many stimuli they experience. However, by offering a Crdl moment, that tension can be released and balance can be restored. We see this reflected in their facial expression and posture, but also in the pleasure that often arises in such a moment. They feel truly seen and acknowledged – and that is incredibly important in the work we do. It also adds to my own sense of fulfilment.
We often see wonderful connections arise when clients work with the Crdl. They focus on each other and discover that they can create beautiful melodies when working together. The Crdl contributes to the sense of kinship between clients. The effects can be quite moving.
We try to further promote the Crdl within Visio, because we believe it can be used even more widely as a therapeutic intervention. To make colleagues more familiar with it, we created a large ring with 40 other colleagues during a team meeting. At first, people sometimes react a bit timid, some even reluctant. After all, it is somewhat of an intimate act to all hold the hand of your colleague, let alone caress one another. But soon after, when people notice the effect they have on the sounds they create together, their reservations dissipate and a sense of wonder remains. It is evident Crdl can truly affect people.”