International Consortium
The International Consortium of Therapeutic Mirror Research (ICTMR) has the mission to establish a collegial platform and resource for international collaboration, research, and dissemination of information related to the psychological implications and the therapeutic use of mirrors. The Consortium’s roots date back to 1990 when Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson completed a phenomenological research nursing thesis of the Experiences of Terminally Ill Women Viewing Self in the Mirror (College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan). Dr. Freysteinson followed up on that reserach with a number of mirror studies and publications under the guidance of Dr. Sandra Cesario (Texas Woman’s University, Houston). In 2008, Mary Aldridge (Mirrors and Dementia) emailed Dr. Freysteinson after hearing about her mirror research. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Freysteinson was joined by other mirror researchers; Dr. Laura Shepherd (Burns Research), Dr. Kimberly Giraud (ICU/Delirium), Dr. Amy Deutsch (Mirrors and Mastecomy) and Dr. Michelle Fingeret (Mirrors and Oncology). Since 2008, this growing team of international researchers continues to communicate through email, openly sharing stories, thoughts and research ideas. Dr. Susan Ridley (Identity and Adolescents) suggested formalizing the teams efforts, and the International Consortium of Therapeutic Mirror Research (ICMTR) was formed. The Therapeutic Mirror Research website was created by Dr. Susan Ridley in 2012, to promote the theraupeutic use of mirrors in health care and brings together research from around the world and across disciplines.
RESEARCH STUDY TIMELINE
1990 – Experiences of Terminally Ill Women Viewing Self in the Mirror (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson)
2008 – Have we Lost Sight of the Mirrors? The Therapeutic Effect of Mirrors in Patient’s Rooms (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson & Dr. Sandra Cesario)
2009 – Therapeutic Mirror Interventions: An Integrated Review of the Literature (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson)
2009 – International Nursing Reflections on the use of the Mirror in Nursing Practice (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson)
2010 – Assessing the mirrors in long –term care homes: A preliminary survey (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson)
2011 – A Reflection of Identity: The Therapeutic Use of Mirrors (Dr. Susan Ridley)
2011 – An Audit of Patients’ Experiences and Opinions concerning Mirrors in a UK Burns Service (Dr. L. Redstone, Dr. L. Shepherd et al)
2012 – Reflections in a Broken Mirror: Arts-based Research (Dr. Susan Ridley)
2012 – Intergenerational Study: Mirrors as a Tool for Self-reflection (Dr. Susan Ridley)
2012 – The Experience of Viewing Self in the Mirror after a Mastectomy (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson, Dr. Amy Deutsch, Carol Lewis BSN, RN, OCN®, Angela Sisk, MSN, RN, OCN®; Linda Wuest, BSN, RN, OCN® and Dr. Sandra Cesario)
2013 – The Effect of Mirror Education for Women undergoing Mastectomy (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson, Dr. Amy Deutsch, Karen Davin, BS, RN, OCN®, Carol Lewis BSN, RN, OCN®, Angela Sisk, MSN, RN, OCN®; Lilian Sweeney, RN,BSN,OCN,CBCN Linda Wuest, BSN, RN, OCN® and Dr. Sandra Cesario)
2014 – 2017 – The Experience of Viewing Self in the Mirror after Amputation of a Limb (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson, Dr. Denika Douglas, Dr. Danielle H. Melton, Dr. Patricia Bowyer, Kristin E. Reeves, MSPT, Dr. Amy Deutsch, Dr. Lisa Thomas)
2015 – 2018 – Body image issues of homeless female veterans with visible or invisible bodily changes who are re-building their civilian lives. (Dr. Wyona M. Freysteinson, Dr. Susan Mellot, Tana Palmer, Tania Celia, Marilyn Goff, and Iris Du)
2016-2019 – Nurses’ confidence in and frequency of supporting patients in mirror-viewing: A feasibility study of a videotape mirror educational program at TIRR Memorial Hermann (Dr. Wyona Freysteinson, Becky Thayer, MSN, Dr. Lisa Thomas)
2017 – present – Mirror Tool Research Project #1: Validation of the Mirror Image Comfort & Acceptance Scale (MICAS) for Amputees A tool to measure the experience of viewing self in the mirror (Dr. Becki Keele, Dr. Denika Douglas, Dr. Tania Celia, Kristin Reeves, PT, Iris Du)
2018 – present – Mirror Tool Research Project #2: Mirror Tool Research Project: Validation of the Mirror Image Comfort & Acceptance Scale (MICAS) for Veterans: A tool to measure the experience of viewing self in the mirror. (Dr. Becki Keeke, Dr. Denika Douglas, Dr. Tania Celia, Dr. Deleene Menefee, Tana Palmerton, Kristin Reeves, PT, Iris Du)
2019 – present – Nurses’ confidence in and frequency of supporting patients in mirror-viewing at Southeast and Pearland Memorial Hermann Hospitals (Dr. Wyona Freysteinson, Lowine Sarbarker, MSN, Laura Gobeli, MSN)