music therapy techniques for anxiety

The best music therapies for behavioral health and emotional wellness.

By Ana Brown B.A., Psychology. Reviewed by Dr. Pascale Piron, Psy.D., M.A., LCPC.

Music has saved my life. And I am sure the lives of so many of us. Music has been a part of my life since I was born. When I was little my parents never sang lullabies at bedtime. My Dad was an opera singer and I grew up at the sound of the most beautiful music and classic opera arias sung by him as my Mom rocked me to sleep. As a rebellious teenager and the child of a painful divorce I used music to calm me down through anxiety, keep me out of trouble and eventually to keep me breathing through my panic attacks. Music saved my life more times than I can count. This passion evolved to songwriting as an adult, as an outlet for my childhood trauma and subsequent stressors in my adult life. I continue leaning on music when I can’t speak up about my deepest sorrows and sadness daily, or when I want to tell someone I love them or to simply say “I’m sorry”. To elevate my mood or spark some positive energy in my home. Music lyrics can express how we feel deep inside and help process difficult and negative emotions. Music saves lives. It makes pain a little lighter, a bit more bearable, it connects us with someone else’s pain, and for a few moments, we’re no longer alone.

Music has been used as a healing and community building, bringing people together, since the Middle ages. Music therapy benefits evidence can be traced back to early civilizations such as The Egyptians and Greeks. Music centered therapies formally started back in the 1950’s and today is widely used in conjunction with other types of therapies in the treatment of mental health disorders and to alleviate negative feelings from the symptoms of certain physical illnesses.

WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY:

The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as;

“Music Therapy is the clinical & evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music Therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare and educational goals:

promote wellness
Manage stress
Alleviate pain
Express feelings
Enhance memory
Improve communication
Promote physical rehabilitation

BUT HOW DOES EXACTLY MUSIC THERAPY HELPS WITH ANXIETY?

I interviewed Camilla DeFaria founder of Radical Coaching Studios an International Vocal Coach, Performer, Singer and Songwriter with over 20,000 hours of teaching experience. Camilla is a Berklee College of Music alumna, and has extensive experience in vocal health, she is currently pursuing her Masters in Voice Pedagogy and is a huge advocate and supporter of music centered therapy for the treatment of anxiety, panic attacks and overall emotional health.

According to Camilla ” singing is an ancient therapeutic practice used to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Singing activates different parts of the brain, specially the limbic system, which controls emotions. It also releases feel good hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. Studies show that singing together increases endorphins which can lower stress and make us feel more connected”.

Music centered therapy can be used as a complement in the treatment of a vast list of emotional, cognitive disorders and physical illnesses such as:

PTSD
anxiety management,
trauma,
depression,
autism,
cancer
Parkinson’s disease,
panic attacks
Dementia
Mood disorders

During my interview with Camilla DeFaria she talked about the importance of music centered therapy even for physical health. She believes a Psychologist trained in music centered therapy helps clients achieve emotional balance and decrease the frequency of panic attacks and other emotional related disorders.

An interesting fact is that singing naturally syncs your breathing and your heart rate, much like meditation, making it a great way to calm your mind. When your breathing and heart rate are in sync it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping your body relax and reduce stress. This balance lowers cortisol, levels (the stress hormone) improves the oxygen flow and creates a sense of calm.

Camilla DeFaria – International Vocal Coach

“Sometimes everything is wrong

now it’s time to sing along”

REM

There are several types of music centered therapies, according to Drury University these are the most common:

Compositional music therapy: The client is actively involved in this type of therapy by composing music with the assistance of the therapist, both music and/or lyrics. Clients struggling with self esteem issues and processing grief can greatly benefit from this technique which boosts self-esteem and allows for deep expression of negative emotions.

Receptive music therapy: “the therapist plays music for their clients to respond to. The client can express their thoughts through words, their own compositions, or dance”. This technique improves memory and hearing issues that clients may be experiencing.

Improvisation music therapy: The client is encouraged to write music spontaneously, the therapist analyses the “client’s mood by the sounds and lyrics of their composition”. The client must make choices which improves self-esteem and it encourages them to express negative feelings attached to traumatic experiences.

Re-creative music therapy: This technique forces clients to re play the music the therapist played, they can sing the lyrics or recreate the instruments. Recommended for clients being treated for developmental issues. It complements the treatment of dementia and movement disorders.

MUSIC THERAPISTS FOCUS ON 7 DOMAINS: Cognitive, communicative, physical, social, spiritual, emotional and musical.

At Emerge Psychology Group in Chicago, IL Psychotherapist Xoe Wise, A.M., LSW explains the many benefits of music therapy:

“Sometimes we need to talk and sometimes we need to create. As a psychotherapist and musician, I offer songwriting focused sessions where clients can explore emotion and life through creating songs. Individual to each client, sessions incorporate lyric writing, recording, body centered music techniques, and talk therapy. Art can be imaginative and transformative way to process grief, explore identity integrate somatically, and get to know different parts of ourselves. Art can also be activating, so we value integrating a client centered, relational, and trauma informed lens. We will co-create the tempo of therapy and understand our therapeutic rhythm as we oscillate between verbal and creative processing. Fortunately, sound can also ground! We can explore difficult emotions with young people and adults through song.

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” If today was a song, what would it be called? what would it sound like? Xoe is ready to listen!

Xoe Wise, A.M., LSW (she/her)

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Additional list of some categories music therapy is recommend for:

music therapy for children
music therapy for seniors
music therapy for pain management
music therapy for emotional expression
music therapy for stress

I don’t know how would I have survived the most challenging times of my life without music. Aside from the scientific based evidence that music therapy can literally alter brain activity to make us feel calmer and more relaxed, there is also the magic behind it. The time traveling feeling that music can create; to be older and still feel like a teenager when I listen to my favorite bands, is just simply magical. To be able to breath through a panic attack while listening to calming sounds is truly a gift that I have always treasured. To feel closer to my Dad again, when I listen to his voice singing my favorite Opera in one of his performances, although he is no longer with us, is an indescribable feeling of gratitude.

Find the right therapist: here

Turn the music up and turn the noise inside your mind down.

Be well. Be kind. Be brave.

Always with love,

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Ana Brown is an Inspirational Mental Health Content Writer.
She holds a B.A. in Psychology, and is fluent in English and
Portuguese. Ana is an advocate for mental health and believes
we can heal each other through meaningful connections.
Live your best life.https://

Ana Brown