“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” – Maya Angelou
Music is all around us from the rhythm of the cars on the streets, the melody birds tend to chirp, or even the music we choose to listen to in the car, commuting to school or work, or in our homes. Maybe you even create music yourself by playing an instrument, singing, or experimenting with different music apps or programs on computers. Many people would claim that music puts them in a better mood, though are unsure why or how it has that effect. There are many articles written about mood and music, though mood is not the only factor when dealing with mental health. Our physical bodies and interpersonal relationships are also affected by our mental health, whether we are in a good place or in crisis. Music can be beneficial in aiding all of these aspects of mental health. Many people living with mental health challenges have participated in some form of therapy. However, many are unaware of the wide variety of therapies available, including those in the creative arts. This article looks at the creative art therapy of music therapy, and how it can support mental health.
What is Music Therapy?
The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) provides a detailed definition of music therapy on their website. For this blog, we have shortened that definition as follows: Music therapy is the evidence-based practice of a board-certified music therapist using music interventions to help clients achieve non-musical goals. In music therapy, the therapy happens between the therapist and client through the music. Music therapists can work in a variety of settings such as schools, hospitals, private practice, senior centers, day programs, and hospice to name a few. A music therapist can work with a variety of different populations. A few examples include people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, seniors with dementia, adults with disabilities, hospice patients, and those living with mental health challenges. Music therapists use a variety of different music interventions to help address cognitive, physical, emotional, and social needs. Some interventions include re-creating music, song-writing, improvisation, and lyric analysis. The style of music used is dependent on the preferences and goals of each client.
5 benefits of music therapy for mental health
Now that we have an understanding of what music therapy is, we can explain how it is beneficial to those living with mental health challenges.
1. Developing useful coping strategies
When dealing with symptoms of mental illness, we hear the common expression of “using coping strategies” to help lessen symptoms. Music therapy can provide a wide variety of different coping skills including breathing techniques, rhythmic grounding, auditory grounding, relaxation, and distraction. In music therapy, these strategies are practiced, so when a crisis arises, one knows how to utilize their strategies effectively.
2. Developing positive emotional behavior
Sometimes when struggling with mental health, the hardest question to answer is “how are you?”. Many people default into saying “good”, “fine”, or “okay,” without knowledge of what those words truly mean to them in that moment. Music therapy can help with the identification and labeling of emotions in a safe environment that can transfer over into better communication of feelings and needs in other situations. Emotional behavior also includes emotional awareness and the non-verbal expression of emotions. Music therapy can be a useful tool in learning how to safely express emotions either verbally or non-verbally in order to increase emotional regulation.
3. Increasing frustration tolerance
Mental health challenges can cause frustration to increase in some situations. Many times when frustration is at its peak, that is when many mental health symptoms start to exhibit themselves and become too overwhelming to handle. Through music therapy, one can work on building frustration tolerance in a controlled environment through something creative in nature. For example, a music therapist may engage the client in a structured improvisation based on themes dealing with mental health (i.e. triggers, overcoming frustration, reflecting the emotions felt in a panic attack) to work on developing how to experience and overcome frustration. Music therapy can also help clients learn relaxation techniques to help prevent frustration from increasing.
4. Improving interpersonal relationships
Though mental health is often thought of as a personal issue, it does impact our daily relationships. This could be with family, friends, acquaintances, significant others, workplace relationships, or even strangers you happen to meet day to day. Mental health troubles can cause us to isolate, lash-out, or want to disconnect from those around us. Music therapy can provide opportunities to practice social skills that can later be transferred to daily relationships. More times in music therapy this is done in a group setting, but can also be addressed individually.
5. Improving self awareness, self-esteem, and self-image
Part of the battle with mental health is trying to understand what is happening in your mind and how it’s affecting you. Mental health challenges can take a toll on our esteem and the image that we have of ourselves as well. Music therapy can help support these and increase insight into one’s behavior and self. It is hard to be kind to yourself when you are feeling at your lowest. A music therapist can guide you through the low moments to find the good qualities within yourself that will guide you through the rough times, and help you look forward to the positive times ahead.
Author :Leandra Ward, MT-BC, NMT, Board Certified Music Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapist
Rhythm-N-You Music Therapy currently provides services to both an inpatient behavioral health hospital with 80 beds and an outpatient behavioral health counseling agency.
The profession of music therapy…
has its roots in mental health. It dates back to WWI and WWII, when musicians would go into VA hospitals to play for the wounded and healing veterans. After working with these veterans, the musicians became aware that they needed more formal training in counseling areas; this combination of music and therapy eventually developed into our modern day profession.
Goals
A music therapist working in the field of mental health works in a variety of settings, from an inpatient, locked facility to outpatient day programs. A full spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses is served, including but not limited to, thought and mood disorders to personality disorders. Goals for music therapy in this population are very recovery based, with the aim of developing practical skills to assist the person in achieving or returning to a fulfilling and meaningful life in the community. Goals can be addressed in the following areas:
- Insight development
- Coping skills
- Emotional expression
- Self-expression
- Communication skills
- Social/interpersonal skills
- Problem solving
- Reality orientation
- Recovery-oriented goal setting
- Develop positive replacement behaviors
- Relaxation/anxiety reduction
- Conflict resolution
- Support for specific modes of therapy (DBT, CBT, etc)
Session Formats
Music Therapy goals can be addressed through a variety of interventions. More structured sessions can include electric bands, choirs, and adapted instrument lessons, often culminating in performances. Other formats include improvisational instrument playing, group or individual song writing for short and long term settings, and participation in arranged ensembles. Live music listening/relaxation and lyric/music discussion are effectively utilized to break down emotional barriers and provide an avenue for discussion and counseling.
As a music therapist, I often take for granted that people understand what I do. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, as music therapists are almost constantly advocating for the efficacy and amazingness of what we do. We use music to help people achieve their goals…. What could be better?
We use music to help people achieve their goals
…. What could be better?
Because music is motivating and effective in addressing goals across numerous populations, music therapists can be found in schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, private practices, and more! Are all of those music therapists addressing similar goals? While the needs of our clients’ vary, the goals that music therapists work on are generally broken down into five domains: social, emotional, cognitive, communication, and physical.
SOCIAL
When working in the social domain, music therapists are addressing specific goals like taking turns, making eye contact, interacting with a peer, or participating in group discussion. We address these skills through music interventions such as instrument playing and lyric discussion.
What might that look like?
A music therapist hands out handheld percussion instruments to children in her music therapy group. She begins singing a song with lyrics which narrate what is going on and encourages all the children to play together (i.e. “We’re making music with our friends…”). Suddenly, the music changes and the music therapist is singing… “Share an instrument with your friend….” This musical cue prompts each child to switch instruments with a peer, therefore encouraging turn taking and peer awareness!
EMOTIONAL
Clients may also come to a music therapist to work on goals relating to emotional needs. With children, this might look like learning and distinguishing between different emotions like sad, mad, happy, angry, worried, etc.. With adults, this could look like having a safe space to express feelings, such as grief or anxiety, with the support of a therapist. Music interventions to address emotional goals might consist of improvisation, instrument playing, or lyric analysis.
What might that look like?
During an individual session with a teenager, the music therapist asks if the client would like to sing a song that the client had brought up during the previous session. The client and the therapist play and sing through the song together. The lyrics refer to feelings of loneliness and depression. When the song finishes, the music therapist asks the client what they think the song is about. The music therapist continues the discussion by asking general and then specific questions about the lyrics and how they may relate to the client’s own feelings. This provides the client with the opportunity to express emotions he may be feeling without having to talk about his own experience.
COGNITIVE
Music therapists also use music to address cognitive goals, like sustaining attention to a task or increasing short term memory skills. These goals might be addressed through music interventions like active instrument playing or musical storytelling.
What might that look like?
A 7 year-old girl is struggling to recall details from learning activities she participates in at school. During her music therapy session, she and the therapist sing a song about a dog and the dog’s adventures with her owner. After each verse of the song, the therapist stops and asks the girl a question about what happened in the story, reinforcing the information that was just given in the song. After the song is done, the therapist assists the girl in recalling details from the story that was sung. The music therapist might use the music to assist in recalling those details by playing through a line or verse again as needed.
COMMUNICATION
Clients might come to music therapy to work on communication skills, such as learning and implementing appropriate conversational skills, interpreting facial expressions, or pronouncing consonant sounds. These goals can be addressed through music experiences like singing, instrument playing, and writing story songs.
What might that look like?
A teenage boy with autism comes to music therapy to work on social and communication skills. His current objective is to implement conversational skills like taking turns and speaking at an appropriate volume. The music therapist engages him in a drumming experience in which he and the therapist take turns leading a call and response. The music therapist plays a rhythm and the client repeats it. After a few measures, they switch and the client leads by playing a rhythm that the therapist repeats. During this experience, the therapist might also encourage the client to be aware of his volume by musically prompting him to play louder and then softer.
PHYSICAL
Because music is an intrinsic force, it has the power to aid us in relaxation, motivate us to move, or to help us establish an internal tempo. When working in the physical domain, music therapists might address anything from pain management in cancer patients to gait training in adults with Parkinson’s disease. Music interventions used to reach these goals might include music listening, movement to music, or instrument playing.
What might that look like?
A man participates in group music therapy at his assisted living facility. As the group is singing a familiar song, the music therapist comes up to him and prompts him to play the drum. The man reaches up and plays with his dominant hand. As he continues playing, the music therapist moves the drum a little further away and encourages him to reach farther, increasing his range of motion and addressing gross motor skills.
TRY THIS AT HOME
There are simple ways that you can use music to support your loved one’s growth at home!
1. Try playing freeze dance with a preferred song to reinforce impulse control and sustained attention.
2. To practice turn taking and strengthen relational skills, you might take turns coming up with “drum beats” on your kitchen table.
3. For little ones, use fingerplay songs to develop and practice fine motor skills!
Additional resources: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/benefits-of-music-therapy/
Isn’t it awesome that music can be used to address so many goals!?
Click here to download a free checklist to see if music therapy is right for your family.
If you’re interested in learning more about how music therapy can work for you, let us know!
Schedule a free consultation today with Noel
~ Kristin Wright, MT-BC
