Can Music Tame Your Inner Beast? Music Therapy for Mental Health

Music can affect a person’s thoughts, feelings and behavior and has been shown to assist with managing stress, expressing emotion and improving communication. Music therapy — the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals — helps people with understanding and developing self-identity, promoting quality of life and maintaining well-being. So how does music therapy work to help someone with their mental health concerns? Music therapy can be used with children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health needs as well as seniors affected by age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. For individuals with mental health conditions, such as ADHD, mood disorders, depression, PTSD and schizophrenia, the objective of music therapy is to approach issues that may not be addressed using words alone. The ultimate goals are to effect changes in behavior and facilitate development of skills. Five common interventions associated with music therapy are: Songwriting. Songwriting can provide the opportunity for individuals with a mental health condition to express moods, thoughts and emotions. Music therapists assist individuals in songwriting by combining rhythm and melody with simple, structured ways of writing song lyrics. Song lyrics can be generated through filling in the blanks of an existing song with an individual’s own emotions or creating a simple poem. Lyric analysis. Analyzi...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Creativity Disorders General Mental Health and Wellness Psychology Psychotherapy Self-Help Treatment Adults With Developmental Disabilities Being Music Creating Music Health Music Improving Communication Improvisation Inner Bea Source Type: blogs