Music therapy is a form of expressive therapy that has helped many people to find solutions to their problems. Like other expressive therapies, music therapy provides an outlet for peoples’ emotions by encouraging them to express themselves within artistic confines.
Music therapy can help people deal with a range of issues in an informal manner. The following article offers an insight into how music therapy works and what its benefits are.
How Music Therapy Works
Music therapists work with children and adults to help overcome a variety of problems. Music therapy has uses outside of psychotherapy and has also been used to help people overcome learning problems and sensory impairments.
Music can be used in different ways to help an individual through therapy. The way music is used and to what extend can vary largely from person to person. In all instances one of the primary roles that music plays is in breaking down formal barriers between the psychotherapist and the individual.
Music can be used to create an understanding between the client and the psychotherapists where both are stressed as equals. Through encouraging the client to explore their creativity, the relationship strengthens between client and psychotherapist as therapy progresses.
Benefits of Music Therapy
Music therapy is designed to make the client feel at ease with their situation. In music therapy there is no right or wrong or wrong way to express yourself which helps the client to feel more accepted and at ease with themselves.
Music therapy can work for an individual regardless of their musical ability. During music therapy sessions the psychotherapist doesn’t teach the client how to play any musical instruments. During sessions the client and the psychotherapist both create music either by play instruments or singing. Quite often the psychotherapist will take the lead from the client and join in when required.
Sessions do not focus on the quality of the music produced but emphasise the experimental and expressive nature of music that can be used to build a bond between the psychotherapist and the client. By joining in at key moments the psychotherapist can encourage the client to further their experimentation when they are unsure to continue and thus furthering the personal development or resolution of the client’s problems.
During music therapy sessions the client isn’t limited to any particular style of music but is encouraged to express themselves as they choose. As the quality of the music produced is not of utmost importance music therapists will usually have a small selections of instruments to use. Simple percussion is often used as is singing and any instruments the client chooses to bring with them.
