Healing with Music Therapy

[Guest guest]

Good Morning!

 

Healing with Music Therapy

 

I had the great pleasure of lecturing at the Music Therapy and

Vibrational Energy Conference in Miami this week. In my lecture

I often talk about the power of music as a healing tool.

 

Music is a magical medium and a very powerful tool. Music can delight

all the senses and inspire every fiber of our being. Music has the

power to soothe and relax, bring us comfort and embracing joy! Music

subtly bypasses the intellectual stimulus in the brain and moves

directly to our subconcious. There is music for every mood and for

every occasion. Music Therapy is incorporated in a number of areas of

medicine. Some of these include labor and delivery, oncology, pain

management, physical rehabilitation, and pediatrics. Music Therapy

has been shown to have influences on the immune system, blood

pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and pain perception.

 

 

Music Therapy and Psychiatry

 

Music therapists work with people with mental heath disorders

including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety

disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders and post traumatic stress

disorder. Music therapy can provide this population with an

alternative means of communication and a chance to express themselves

through improvisation, song writing or lyric analysis.

 

 

Music Therapy and Social Skills

 

Psychiatric disorders can often impair social interaction and social

skills. Music therapy can provide opportunities for safe group and

individual musical experiences, address how people interact with

their environment and examine how they affect their environment.

Music can encourage social interaction among patients. The

interaction may take the form of talking about thoughts and feelings,

contributing to group experience, cooperating with others or

responding to others' needs. Interpersonal interaction can take place

through music listening techniques lead by the music therapist (Thaut

& Smeltekop, 1990).

 

 

Music Therapy and Emotions

 

Music therapy can provide a safe environment for a client to

alleviate their feelings with a person who can ` process and reflect

the patient's expression in a modified form' (Jensen, 1999, p. 47).

Preference and familiar music are important in this area. `If

patients are to be reached, the music employed must be that which

they understand, at least to some extent' (Gaston, 1968, p. 22).

Gfeller (1990) argues that music can `reflect, influence and alter

emotional response' (p. 59) and therefore is a valuable therapeutic

device in music therapy processes including `identification,

awareness, reflection or expression of feelings and relevant issues'

(p.59).

 

 

Music Therapy and Communication

 

People with mental health difficulties may find communication with

others difficult. As music therapy can help social and interpersonal

interaction and emotional expression, so to can it help communication

difficulties. Sears (1968) reports that clients `may express in music

or through musical preferences feelings not otherwise expressible.

Music may speak where words fail' (p. 43). Music therapy techniques

such as song writing, lyric analysis and improvisation can be used to

assist the client in development of their communication skills.

 

 

Music Therapy and Self-Esteem

 

Low self-esteem can be part of many mental health disorders. Music

therapy can act as a psychotherapeutic agent to improve low self-

esteem. Improvisation, group singing, movement techniques and dancing

can provide a client with sensory and social feedback, successful

musical experiences that can promote self-worth and promote body

awareness and identity (Thaut & Smeltekop, 1990).

 

 

Music Therapy and Relaxation

 

Anxiety disorders are common and can be helped by relaxation

techniques. Studies show that music can be used to effectively reduce

anxiety and promote muscle relaxation (Thaut & Smeltekop, 1990).

Clients' musical preference is important to consider when using music

for relaxation purposes. The idea of stimulating and sedative music

increasing and decreasing anxiety respectively does not apply to

everyone. Music imagery can be used to help the client reduce tension

and focus on positive thoughts and feelings (Gfeller & Thaut, 1999).

Imaging should not be used with people who are delusional or have

psychotic disorders.

 

 

Music Therapy and Cognition

 

Music is a time ordered, structured stimulus. People with psychotic

disorders may have poor reality orientation whereas people with mood

or anxiety disorders may have insight into their disability. Music

therapy can provide treatment programs geared towards the clients'

level of cognition and awareness. Structured reality based music

experiences such as writing a song can help reality orientation,

divert from neurotic concerns or obsessions and help improve

impulsive behaviour control (Gfeller & Thaut, 1999).

 

 

Andrew " Guruji " LMT, MT-BC, CA

Peacefulmind.com

Alternative medicine and therapies

for healing mind, body & spirit!

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

 

1.Gaston, E.T. (1968). Man and music. In E.T. Gaston Music in

therapy. London: Collier-Macmillan.

 

2. Gfeller, KE. (1990). Music as communication. In R.F.Unkefer (Ed.)

Music therapy in the treatment of adults with mental disorders:

Theoretical bases and clinical interventions. New York: Schirmer.

 

3. Gfeller, K.E. & Thaut, M.H. (1999). Music therapy in the treatment

of mental disorders. In W.B. Davis, K.E. Gfeller & M.H. Thaut (Eds.)

An introduction to music therapy theory and practice. Boston: Mc-Graw-

Hill College.

 

4. Jensen, B. (1999). Music therapy with psychiatric in-patients: A

case study with a young schizophrenic man. In T. Wigram & J. De

Backer (Eds.) Clinical applications of music therapy in psychiatry.

London: Jessica Kingsley.

 

5. Sears, W.W. (1968). Processes in music therapy. In E.T. Gaston

Music in therapy. London: Collier-Macmillan.

 

6. Thaut, M.H. & Smeltekop, R.A. (1990). Psychosocial and

neurophysiological aspects of music therapy interventions. In

R.F.Unkefer (Ed.) Music therapy in the treatment of adults with

mental disorders: Theoretical bases and clinical interventions. New

York: Schirmer.

 

7. The Tao of Music: Sound Psychology. John M. Ortiz Ph.D, Samuel

Weiser, Inc. (1997)