Is It Just Me, Or Does This Really Work?

You may recall that, in addition to this blog here, I also blog at Psychology Today–though not nearly as often! 🙂 This morning I published a story about an experience I had a couple years ago where I was able to use music to calm two boys in an active “fight, flight, or freeze” response. You can read the story here.

Blogging about that experience has gotten me thinking again about something I’ve noticed clinically, but can’t yet describe or explain how it works:

Somehow, music opens up our brain for being able to verbally process emotions and emotionally-charged memories.

I’ve seen it over and over again, mostly in trauma-influenced children who often took months to open up to a trusted therapist or staff member, yet who would start sharing with me within weeks.

(The staff at this treatment center joked that they always knew which days were music therapy days because there would be a significant rise in the number of children who started talking about their trauma–thus, more paperwork for them!)

I’ve noticed this elsewhere, too. I remember facilitating a support group for caregivers. After initial introductions, I sang Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” as part of a lyric analysis experience. When the song ended, one group member tearfully talked about the emotional struggles she had about her sister’s passing the year before and how she was supposed to be the “strong” one in the family and didn’t have anyone to talk to about this. The kicker? It was this woman’s first time in this group.

I don’t know how or why this works, but it is a common occurrence that my music therapy clients seems to open up more readily and easily to me than they might in other situations.

And I don’t think I’m the only one. My music therapy friend Peggy–the same Peggy I mentioned earlier this week–is beginning some co-treatment work with a psychotherapist. Their clients will start the session with Peggy, who will go through several rhythmic-based experiences. Then they head over to the psychotherapist to begin the talk therapy portion of the treatment. The psychotherapist reports that these clients seem to be able to access their feelings and talk about them more readily. Interesting…

So I don’t have any answers in this post–just observations. However, if you’ve experienced something similar (or, better yet, have insight into this), please share it by leaving a comment below.

And just a reminder–you are invited to “attend” the 1st Annual Creative Arts Therapies Teleconference. Listen and learn from a variety of music, art, and dance therapists…from the comfort of your own home! To learn more, click the pretty pink icon below:

Tagged as: clinical skills, emotions, Mental Health, music therapist, rhythm, therapist