When you have had a number of stress filled hours or are in need of a pause, one can always turn to music. It soothes the brain and the body while providing that degree of relaxation which all of us crave. Music therapy is an endorsement of these principles as it is designed to assist the individual’s emotional and mental well being with the help of music. This kind of therapy utilises music as an adjunctive modality to treat stress, let out emotions and generally improve one’s well-being. And the best part is, music therapy works for all ages.
What Is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is just another way or branch in therapy that is more than simply communication. Since music therapy is an alternative route to traditional therapy sessions or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), some sessions of music therapy will be more about passive listening. That is, just listening to music selected by your therapist that coincides with your feelings. Or, you can be quite active and experiment with musical instruments, regardless of whether you played before or not. This is exactly where the healing process starts to take place. Through music therapy, it is made possible to express feelings that cannot be verbally described.
Music therapy is helpful when you wish to work on your confidence level, communication skills, independence, self-awareness, and even your understanding of the people around you. Plus, it can sharpen your focus and attention skills.
How a Simple Melody or Brushstroke Can Boost Your Mood?
How Does Music Therapy Work?
Music therapy can take plenty of forms. Below are some of the approaches that can be included into the concept of music therapy:
- Listening to Music: It might sound rather naive, however, when you turn on your favourite tracks, or listen to some tunes, you feel much better. This process can also stimulate you to think about those feelings and reflect on them.
- Playing Instruments: Experimenting with musical instruments and creating musical sounds can also help you in releasing pent-up emotions and reduce stress.
- Singing Tunes: Singing can be a great and effective emotional outlet for a lot of people. It helps you in being vocal about your feelings in a creative form.
- Songwriting and Composition: Composing music or writing lyrics for any song by oneself is a good form of emotional outlet and management. Such activities are practised as they help in letting out feelings efficiently.
Benefits of Music Therapy
People can get so many advantages when they are undergoing this form of treatment. Some of the benefits of music therapy are as listed below:
- Emotional Expression: Music therapy allows you to let out emotions and deal with distressing feelings easily.
- Stress Relief: Whether it's just about listening to music or creating it, this therapy comes in handy when it's about helping you manage anxiety and stress. It’s a simple and natural way to relax.
- Lifting Up Your Mood: Music is known to have a direct link to how you feel. Over the years, several studies have shown that by listening to upbeat tunes, you can uplift your mood.
- Cognitive and Physical Benefits: Music therapy has been shown to improve memory, motor skills, and even speech. It’s particularly useful for people recovering from stroke, brain injuries, or neurological conditions.
Who Can Benefit from Music Therapy?
Music therapy is suited for people of all ages and one does not need to be an expert in the music field to take it up. Here's a list of who all might benefit the most from music therapy sessions:
- Children and teenagers with developmental challenges.
- Adults who are experiencing anxiety or depression.
- Trauma survivors who wish to process traumatic events and don't want to talk about it directly.
- People with neurological conditions like stroke, brain injuries, or dementia.
- Senior adults, particularly those with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Types of Music Therapy
Since every individual is different from the other, everybody’s needs are varied. Hence, music therapy has several kinds of types that can be tailored to every person’s own unique needs. Here are some types of music therapies that you can consider:
1. Active Music Therapy: This type of therapy requires you to become an active participant in the process. You can either sing songs, or play music on your preferred musical instruments. This in turn will help you to express your emotions without any judgement.
2. Receptive Music Therapy: Here, the focus is on merely listening. Your therapist will most likely choose specific songs and tunes for you. Those few selected songs will help you in bringing up certain emotions and feelings to the surface, pushing you to work on them at your own pace.
3. Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT): This type is used specifically for individuals with neurological conditions, using rhythm and music to help improve cognitive function.
4. Analytical Music Therapy: Analytical music therapy makes use of music as a tool for emotional recognition. Here, music is used to access feelings that might be buried deep within.
Music Therapy vs. Sound Therapy: What’s the Difference?
While music therapy and sound therapy doesn't sound all that different, they aren't really quite the same! Sound therapy and music therapy are two types of different therapies that can help you in dealing with your issues in a creative manner.
Music therapy is generally formatted and administered by an accredited professional therapist. It is an intervention planned to focus on emotional, physical or even cognitive concerns via musical tasks. On the other hand, sound therapy usually refers to the uses of frequencies or tones like gongs and singing bowls among others as therapeutic tools. It is not associated with trying to get something done, but rather with putting the mind into a state of rest. Although, both these therapies can be helpful, music therapy is more specific and serious in its treatment.