Music Therapy and Psychological Counseling

Music Therapy can be utilized with Counseling, Psychology, and Psychiatry services to facilitate building a therapist/client relationship more quickly, communication, emotional recall and disclosure, and coping skills.  Music helps to establish a comfort level in the therapeutic environment and each individual's interactions with instruments, music, and others in the music environment reveal a great deal about their underlying psychological state.  Therapy can be provided in either individual or group settings.

Treatment Examples (other treatment types may apply):

Individual Therapy - The use of music in individual therapy is completely dependent on the needs of the individual throughout therapy as well as the emotional state of the individual that day.  Instrumental and vocal improvisation allow the individual to express and explore emotional issues that may be difficult to express verbally.  Song writing allows the individual to verbally express emotional issues without the initial pressure of speaking it.  Lyric analysis provides the opportunity to examine how one person's words or actions can effect others.  All music experiences are geared to lead toward discussion.

Small Group - Music Therapy can be utilized in small group therapy, including family therapy, to assist in meeting group goals as well as individual goals.  Instrumental improvisations structured to display group and familial roles will assist the group to understand dysfunction between its members.  Individual song writing acts as a direct communication to the group from the individual.  Group song writing assists in group interaction and also displays areas of group dynamics that need to be addressed.

Therapy with Children - Children are drawn towards music making the incorporation of Music Therapy into Counseling ideal.  Many children find it difficult or are highly resistive to disclosing difficult emotional issues with an adult they are not familiar with.  Providing a musical environment geared toward the emotional needs of the child will assist the child to become more comfortable with the therapist(s); the child's interactions in the music environment can also be utilized as an assessment tool.

All treatment provided depend on the individual(s) being served.  For more information on service types provided by Blue Ridge Music Therapy, please visit the Services page.

Other pages of interest:

Individuals with Mental Health Needs

Individuals with Substance Abuse Problems

Music Therapy in Response to Crisis and Trauma