Everyone experiences challenges in life because life isn’t easy. Sometimes these challenges benefit us because they can provide us with great opportunities for personal growth. Yet sometimes these challenges can prove to be traumatic. If left untreated or unacknowledged, these experiences can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can be challenging to treat. This blog post explores music therapy and trauma.

It’s important to find effective ways to treat PTSD. This is because PTSD can be debilitating due to the physiological, mental, emotional, and social impact it has on a person. Trauma can cause feelings of anxiety, fear, and paranoia that affect how we engage with others and with our surroundings. Being in such a chronic state of stress has an impact on the body that affects physical health. Even family members and others close to the person with PTSD can experience the effects of PTSD. This is because of how PTSD affects a person’s relationships.

Music Therapy and Trauma

Music can be a beneficial means for healing from trauma. As well, it can also lead to experiences of Posttraumatic Growth. Posttraumatic Growth is “positive change experienced as a result of the struggle with a major life crisis or traumatic event.” Below are ways in which music therapy can be helpful in treating trauma.

Why Music Therapy Can Help Treat Trauma

• Music is a form of expression in which words aren’t necessary. Music is an experience that can bypass rational thoughts and defense mechanisms. It gets to the heart of the matter. This can be helpful when words are unavailable to the person who has undergone a traumatic experience. Music can give people a “voice,” even if they don’t have the words. This is especially true if the trauma occurred at a time when a person was young and language was still developing.
  
• Music adds another relational dimension to the therapeutic relationship. The effectiveness of therapy can be determined in part by the quality of the therapeutic relationship. With the use of music, the client can develop a relationship with the music, which can lead to feelings of safety and support. At the same time, the therapeutic alliance with the therapist can deepen through the use of music.
  
• Music is a whole-brain activity. Our ears receive musical stimulation, and our brains process it. Brain imaging shows that music has a vast neurological response in the brain. Included in this neural activation are the parts of the brain responsible for emotions and memories. The neuroplasticity of the brain allows for the making of new neural connections, which can lead to healing and growth. Music can help with this by allowing a person to create meaning from their traumatic experience.
  
• Music is a full sensory experience. It can also be one in which we can have control over the sensory experience. We can turn the volume down or stop the music if it becomes too much. Likewise, our bodies can feel the music and naturally respond to it. Music can also bring us into the present moment. This is where we can gain awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and responses to our experiences.

Contact Me If You Could Use Some Support

As a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), I specialize in using music to help others achieve therapeutic goals and personal growth. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I have additional experience in working with those who have experienced trauma. Learn more about the counseling services I provide to teens, adults, and older adults. Contact me if you would like to know more about how my music therapy services could help you.