Music Therapy: Healing Through Sound and Rhythm

Talking about music, who doesn’t like music? Usually, people have different tastes. While some like it classical, some like it rock, some others like it rap, and on and on it goes. Regardless of the genre, music is something everybody generally enjoys. However, if the properties and effects of music are more closely looked at, music really has the power to elevate mood and enhance the overall mental health and well-being of a person. This is why it has a special place in psychotherapy as well.

Music therapy is a therapeutic approach that utilizes music to improve psychological health and well-being. At the NuView Treatment Center, we incorporate music therapy into our holistic treatment approaches, allowing our clients to express their emotions, reduce stress, and foster healing and well-being as part of their journey to recovery and balance.

What Is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is a therapeutic approach. It relies on the uplifting and healing properties of music to bring about enhanced mental health and well-being among clients. It is used in the treatment of psychological conditions like anxiety and depression, and is also used to promote a better quality of life among those suffering from different kinds of chronic conditions.

Music therapy is an active, collaborative therapy, in which a licensed and skilled music therapist learns about the client’s preferences and unique needs, and designs personalized sessions as per these preferences and needs. One does not need to be a skilled musician to participate in this therapy, anybody can benefit from it. It can involve developing music, songwriting, vocal exercises, singing, dancing, and even listening to music.

How Does Music Therapy Work?

Music therapy uses music or even aspects of music like sound and rhythm to achieve therapeutic benefits. It is an active therapy, where there is collaboration between the therapist and the client. Music therapy begins by learning about the client – their background, their preferences, their psychological needs and requirements, and so on. After this, personalized sessions are designed for the client to achieve maximum benefits of the music therapy.

Music therapy can vary as per preferences, it can involve something like creating music or songwriting. At the same time, it can also involve listening to music or singing. It can also involve something more physical like vocal exercises and dancing. It is a powerful tool, and can be used with children, adults, and with people suffering from chronic health conditions.

Music therapy requires working with a music therapist, and how the sessions are designed depends upon the needs. For instance, if a client is suffering from major depressive disorder, then music therapy sessions will be designed to elevate mood and increase happiness levels. If a client needs to relieve stress, then music sessions are designed to be soothing. Music can also be used to express emotions and achieve healing in these contexts.

So, now, the question is music therapy effective or not? Well, yes, a 2014 article titled, “Effectiveness of music therapy: a summary of systematic reviews based on randomized controlled trials of music interventions” showed that music therapy can be effective in treating depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, and can also be used in the treatment of more severe conditions like schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. Overall, it can be said that music therapy can be used to have a positive effect on the cognitive, emotional, social, and physical aspects of life.

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Benefits Of Music Therapy

Music therapy has many benefits, and they are as follows:

• Enhances mood

• Induces relaxation

• Reduces stress levels

• Improves symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Equips healthy coping skills

• Improves communication skills and patterns

• Improves problem-solving skills

• Reduces the perception of pain

• Enhances the overall quality of life

Risks Of Music Therapy

Music therapy is generally a low-risk therapy, however certain risks can still be present:

Working with the therapist can trigger memories of some negative experiences, which can be traumatic. Therefore, music therapy requires an open and safe space for the client to navigate these challenges.

Playing instruments or music involving movement can lead to pain and injuries. So, efforts must be made to reduce these risks.

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Types of Music Therapy Techniques Used in Treatment

Music therapy involves four methods:

1. Compositional Music Therapy – Client plays an active role by creating music with the therapist.

2. Improvisation Music Therapy – It involves song creation, where the therapist seeks to understand the mood of the client based on the sound and lyrics.

3. Receptive Music Therapy – The client listens to music and processes thoughts and emotions.

4. Re-Creative Music Therapy – The client responds to the music played by the therapist by recreating the songs or playing instruments.

Moreover, there are different approaches in music therapy as well:

• Analytical Music Therapy – Involves dialoguing with music, it involves singing or playing an instrument. Helps in expressing unconscious thoughts or emotions and discussing them with the music therapist.

• Benenzon Music Therapy – Involves self-exploration by searching for a musical identity. It seeks to align external sounds with internal mental states to achieve healing and personal growth.

• Cognitive Behavioral Music Therapy – Incorporates music into cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge and reshape maladaptive thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns. Can involve listening to music, singing, dancing, and playing an instrument.

• Neurologic Music Therapy – It is used to treat neurological conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and so on. It uses evidence-based techniques to treat the brain with the five elements of music like rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, and tempo.

• Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy – It uses improvisation where therapist and client both play an instrument as a way to engage in self-expression, and also to achieve healing and personal growth.

• The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music – Uses classical music to encourage imagination. It allows the client to express emotions and memories through guided imagery techniques.

What All Conditions Are Managed In Music Therapy?

A wide range of conditions can be managed using music therapy; it is beneficial in the cases of:

• Anxiety disorders

• Mood disorders

• Neurological conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease

• Chronic pain

• Cancer

• Developmental disorders

• Substance use disorders

Key Takeaways

• Music therapy utilizes music to foster psychological healing and well-being.

• Music therapy can be active, improvisational, receptive, and re-creative. It also involves specialized approaches like analytical music therapy, cognitive behavioral music therapy, and neurologic music therapy.

• Music therapy is used for anxiety, depression, reduce stress levels, and improve quality of life among those suffering from chronic health conditions like pain and cancer.

• Music therapy is also considered to be beneficial in treating neurological conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

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Our dedicated professional staff is here to design a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs, guiding you or your loved one on the journey to lasting recovery.

(323) 307-7997

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four methods of music therapy?

The four methods of music therapy are compositional music therapy, improvisational music therapy, receptive music therapy, and re-creative music therapy.

What are the five elements of music therapy?

The five core elements of music therapy are rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, and tempo.