Music Therapy in Response to Crisis and Trauma

Music Therapy with individuals suffering from the effects of physical and emotional trauma is highly effective in developing coping strategies, including understanding and expressing feelings of anxiety and helplessness, supporting feelings of self-confidence and security, and providing a safe or neutral environment for relaxation.  Music is a form of sensory stimulation, which provokes responses due to the familiarity, predictability, and feelings of security associated with it.  Therapy can be provided in either individual or group settings.

Treatment focuses on:

•  Promoting expression of emotions associated with traumatic experiences

•  Promoting emotional intimacy with peers, family members, and caregivers

•  Enhancing the development of a positive, healthy self-image

•  Enhancing feelings of control, confidence, and empowerment

•  Facilitating relaxation and stress reduction

The following treatment examples can be applied to either individual or group therapy (other treatment types may apply):

•  Improvisation to facilitate non-verbal expression of emotions, to provide opportunities to make choices, take risks, and develop confidence and feelings of empowerment

•  Music listening and discussion and lyric analysis facilitates perception of emotions

•  Song choices allow individuals to safely express themselves through projection into the song subject's experiences

•  Songwriting facilitates expression of emotions and encourages interaction among group members

•  Guided imagery, music-assisted biofeedback, and autogenic skills training encourage relaxation, stress reduction, and positive physiological changes (i.e., lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate)

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:

Music Therapy and Psychological Counseling