Words From Those Who Heal and Have Healed
We’ve all experienced that indescribable sensation when listening to music. We listen to a sad tune when we need to let it out, an uplifting beat when we feel joyful, and ambient sounds when we need to soothe ourselves. If it’s possible to feel so much through music alone, imagine what can happen when adding therapy to the mix.
Music therapy is an up-and-coming set of mental health work that’s becoming increasingly popular. Using music, therapists offer a free-flowing experience to help soothe their patients. This might mean playing music for patients, teaching them to play, or simply experimenting with sounds that evoke feelings. Of course, there are also specific goals one might have when seeking out music therapy.
Some of these might include increasing one’s ability to express themselves, relax, acquire new coping skills, etc.
Music therapy has also been shown to be effective physically as well as psychologically. It can aid in pain reduction, stress reduction, and increasing brain activity in people who live with neurological disorders.
Music therapy is special because it meets these goals by connecting us to the part of ourselves that receives feelings.
Here are ten quotes that capture music's healing power:
--Oliver Sacks, neurology professor, best-selling author, and physician
--Phil ‘Philosofree’ Cheney, author of multiple books including Energizing Your Life and Brion and Freya
--C.G. Jung, world renowned psychoanalyst
--Alex Doman, Music Producer and author of Healing at the Speed of Sound
--Debasish Mrihda
--Hans Christian Anderson, prominent fairy-tale author
This couldn’t be more true. Music therapy provides a medium for those who have trouble expressing their emotions through words. In certain terms, music therapy allows an alternative ‘language’ for those seeking it out.
--Jon Samson, Music Therapist accepting a Grammy for his work on the album, Ageless: Songs for the Child Archetype.
This is an important moment for both Samson and the music therapy field, to say the least. Getting recognized by the highest music award organization provides an opportunity for visibility. People who may never have heard of music therapy may now open themselves up to the concept, bringing it further into the mainstream.
--Dr. Annie Heiderscheit, Music therapist
Since music lights up both sides of the brain, one can imagine music therapy to be healing in a way that is unique to the treatment modality.
--Hunter S. Thompson, American Journalist and author.
This point emphasizes the point of music being a driving force for growth. Music can be used as medicine for things as common as everyday stress, to our deepest pain.
--Amy Camie, breast cancer survivor and classically-trained harpist
--Amy Camie, cont’d
As an entity, music has the power to heal us daily. Whether listening after a long day of work or in a hospital setting, it has therapeutic value that differs from so many treatment options available. Music therapy is still largely considered niche, but it’s slowly taking its rightful place on the psychological stage. If you’re looking for ways to soothe everyday stress or activate joy, check out Incadence for more information!
Edited by Cara Jernigan at incandence