What really happens in music therapy sessions?
In a world where pop psychology has taken so much public focus, it can be difficult for those of us who want a helpful and healthy solution to our problems without becoming overwhelmed by choice.
Music therapy has been a pretty hot topic in the psychological world recently. Sure, it sounds fun, but with a name so vague, plenty of people still have no idea what it really is. What is music therapy like? How does it work, and what makes it different from any other healing tool?
The most obvious question in asking what music therapy is like is, “what is music therapy?” Music therapy can be a lot of things, but, at its core, it’s a therapeutic practice that uses music to help patients work through issues. No matter what exactly happens in a music therapy session, that’s always the root of the experience.
Music therapy is also a highly individualized experience. There are several techniques a music therapist may use in the healing process. Some of these include:
Music is a large medium and a big part of everyone’s everyday life, so there’s really no limit to the resources a music therapist has at their disposal. That may sound daunting, but none of the pressure is put on you. The music therapist is the person who puts together the plan based on the information you give them, like music taste and instrumental ability.
So, what is the process of music therapy really like? This may not be a surprise, but, like all therapy, music therapy is highly personalized to each individual person who gets it, and the exact experience can vary session by session.
At the beginning, a great music therapist will chat with you about your relationship to music. First, they’ll get a sense of what kind of music you like, because there’s no point in playing Beethoven to a client if they don’t find classical music healing.
Another important step is understanding your knowledge of instruments. Some music therapy sessions, depending on the person, can involve playing music. Of course, not everyone plays music, so this aspect isn't necessary in the healing process, and there are plenty of other forms of healing through music. The important thing is to be open with your music therapist about how you relate to music.
Many sessions will just involve listening to music, and letting a personalized, guided musical experience take you away on a calming journey. Sometimes, all you need is a good personal playlist, and, in some cases, the music therapist is there to work through that process.
That simple of an experience, though, can often only hit the surface of how we feel. Many sessions will also involve the music therapist talking with you about the vibes and lyrics of a song to get a better understanding of how you feel. This can also work to bring out many of your emotions you may have under the surface.
Another important aspect of music therapy is dance. On its own, dancing has been shown to make us feel better. Movement can release positive chemicals in our brains, such as serotonin, that improve our moods exponentially. One part of music therapy can be doing rhythmic movement, big or small, to music the music therapist picks.
If you do have skill on an instrument, your music therapist could guide you through playing it in a couple ways. They may have you play a predetermined piece of music on your instrument of choice. This can help stabilize you, and then it can put you into a calm flow state. The music therapist could, if you feel comfortable with your ability, have you improvise. They may have you play whatever emotions you feel without having to use words.
Music is universal, and has been used in healthcare for at least a century. We can also find music being used as a form of healing long before we started categorizing it as music therapy. We can look back at the writings of Aristotle to find that out.
Music has a deep effect on our biology, too. Listening to a song you like can induce positive chemicals to be released in your brain, which can make you happier and calmer.
There are also many benefits to music therapy that traditional therapy may not be able to accomplish as easily. For example: it can be difficult for a therapist who isn’t using music to establish a comfortable rhythm for breathing, which is essentially in calming yourself down. A music therapist can simply put on a song at the desired tempo and your body will naturally respond to it, adapting your breathing pattern to match.
Music therapy can also be used for guided meditation. Music can create positive imagery in the listeners mind that can calm people down. Going a step further, music also has the power to deepen a person’s state of relaxation.
There are several reasons to try starting music therapy, and you can be in any state of mind to initiate the process. Maybe you have a particular stress in your life, or you have an anxiety issue. Music has been shown to help us calm down. Music therapy is a great way to develop new stress management tactics to take with you on a daily basis.
There is absolutely no barrier to entry. Music therapy works for younger people, older people, children, elderly people, and everyone in between. Music is helpful for creating a positive feeling of nostalgia and strengthening mental connections in people with dementia.
Music therapy can also be helpful for children in early development. Interacting with music in a controlled environment can develop motor skills and stress management for young kids. It can also be a tool of self-expression and communication, so your kid can grow up to be a complex, sophisticated adult.
We also specifically see music therapy help to treat substance addiction. Harmful substances can work to rewrite your brain's chemical pathways, creating dependencies on these substances. This is what eventually leads to addiction and continued substance abuse. This is pretty common knowledge, but a lot of people don’t know that music therapy has been shown to wire the brain back towards a healthy state after continued sessions.
You don’t have to have a particularly bad issue to start music therapy, either. It certainly helps with larger, life-altering problems, but every stressor we have deserves to be addressed and managed, no matter how small or trivial it might seem. Music is especially good for this. Say you’re a student in need of new study strategies. A music therapist can help address the stress of classes and exams, and then help you develop healthy study habits to get you through studying in the future.
Like with anything in psychology, there is no single description of how music therapy affects those treated by it, but the results are clearly positive overall. Music may not be the cure to everything, but a music therapist can improve most people’s lives fairly quickly, and work to get to the root of the problems and stressors we face on a daily basis.
Music is the quickest and most pleasing way to the soul. Everyone knows what could be irking them deep down, and music can be what brings that out. A music therapist is the person who facilitates the breakthroughs by choosing the right music and exercises that can indirectly address the problems, which then allows you to discover your own problems. That approach can often make those breakthroughs, the moments you realize the problem and have an idea of how to handle them, often makes these discoveries feel more real.
Music can guide us through beautiful imagery. It’s a calming experience that works to bring out our deepest emotions in a safe and healthy way. Being able to open up about both yourself and the music you listen to is freeing, and the experience of playing music can make your brain both more concentrated and happier.
