Music Therapy for Mental Health Support
Music Therapy is one way to support mental health care.
Music therapy is not a music class and it is not about performing well.
You don't have to be musical.
It is a therapeutic process that uses music and the relationship between therapist and person to support health and change.
In mental health care, it is used to support intrapersonal needs such as understanding feeling and building self-awareness and interpersonal needs such as trust, communication and connection with others
Music Therapy in Mental Health
Who can benefit?
Music therapy may support children, teenagers, and adults who are living with mental health difficulties
Common reasons for referral include:
-
anxiety
-
depression
-
bipolar
-
mood disorders
-
personality disorders
-
eating disorders
-
stress and burnout
-
substance use difficulties
-
low self-esteem
-
social withdrawal
-
emotional regulation difficulties
-
trauma-related difficulties
What music therapy may look like
Session can look different from person to person. It may include
-
Talking with the therapist
-
Listening to music
-
Singing
-
Playing instruments
Sessions may be in individual or in group
-
writing songs/lyrics
-
improvising music
-
using familiar songs
-
music with relaxation or imagery
what are the benefits?
Benefits are different for each person,
music therapy may help with
- reducing stress and anxiety
- lifting mood
- expressing feelings safely
- feeling more grounded
- increasing self-awareness
- building confidence
- improving communication
- strengthening coping skills
- creating a sense of belonging
- supporting identity and self-worth
Why music?
Sometimes feelings are hard to explain
Music can help when words feel too much, too little, or not available yet
Music can help a person feel heard, supported and connected in a different way
Is music therapy right for me?
-
feel overwhelmed by stress or emotions
-
find it hard to talk in talk therapy
-
want a creative way to process your experiences
Music therapy may be helpful if you: