What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is the clinical use of music to negotiate personalized pretensions similar to reducing stress, anxiety, and depression perfecting mood and emotional tone- expression. It's a substantiation-grounded therapy well-established in the health community. Listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, or making music, are all forms of music therapy.

Music therapy can assist you in a variety of ways, including psychologically, emotionally, physically, spiritually, cognitively, and socially.

The usefulness of Music Therapy

A short list of the usefulness of music therapy or NAAD includes-

• Lowering of blood pressure.
• Perfecting of memory.
• Enhanced communication and social skills by going through music with others.
• Observing yourself, your thought process, and your feelings.
• Reducing muscle pressure.
• Regulating oneself. Developing healthy managing skills to manage your thinking and feelings.
• Increase in motivation
• Management of pain.
• Increasing joy.

The United States War Department defined and first employed formal music therapy in 1945. It provided occupational therapy, education, recreation, and physical rehabilitation to military service members healing in Army hospitals.

Who does music therapists work with?

People of all backgrounds and communities can respond to music, and to music therapy. Notable populations music therapists have helped include-

• Military service members and stagers. Music therapy helps them manage trauma.
• People on Autism Spectrum (ASD). Individuals with ASD learn best when there's familiarity, structure, predictability, and consistency.
• Individuals with Alzheimer’s. Music therapy may help with memory and stimulate their mind because of predictability, familiarity, and a sense of security.
• For people in corrective settings like in an internal health institution, halfway house, or group home, music therapy may help with problem-solving, communication skills, relaxation, and decreasing impulsivity.
• Victims of trauma and crisis might have anxiety, stress, and pain. Music therapy can help with the dwindling of those three symptoms, by improving your mood, feeling confident and in control, and facilitating a non-verbal outlet for feelings.
• Those who are physically ill. The list includes, but isn't limited to people with habitual pain, diabetes, cardiac conditions, cancer, headaches, recent surgery, and people in recovery.
• Individuals with internal health disorders. Music therapy can help them with communication and expression; help them explore their thoughts and feelings.
• People with habitual pain. Pain, anxiety, exhaustion, and sadness can all be reduced by music therapy.
• Substance abusers. Music therapy may help if anyone has a substance abuse issue. Research has shown that it can increase motivation and self-concept, decrease anxiety, enhance mindfulness and strengthen management skills.

Techniques of Music Therapy-

One will move ahead with a music therapist by determining their goals. For example, if someone’s down, one would try to use music to gradually boost their mood and happiness. One may also wish to try music therapy for additional depressive symptoms such as anxiety, sleeplessness, or difficulty concentrating.

One may listen to different types of music, perform a musical instrument, or even create their own songs during a music therapy session. It is possible that they will be asked to sing or dance. The music therapist may urge to improvise or may have a predetermined format for their client to follow.

One may well be asked to pay attention to their emotions while performing certain duties or to let their feelings guide them.

Do music therapist work with kids (children) and teens(adolescents) for developmental challenges?

Music therapy may help with the following issues-

• Behavioral Issues
• Mood and anxiety issues
• Attention deficiency/ Hyperactivity (ADHD).
• Autism ASD).
• Trauma.
• Substance abuse issues.

What are the importance or benefits of music therapy?

Exploration of music therapy supports its effectiveness in six areas cerebral, emotional, physical, spiritual, cognitive, and social.

1. Emotional

Music can call up repressed (bottled up) feelings that may also be released.

Music can lessen the passion for insulation.

Bettered mood.

Dropped depression.

Anxiety reduction.

Self-expression.

Management of  Stress

2. Physical

Music can change your heart rate, blood pressure, and even respiratory rate.

Advanced motor development or processing.

Relaxation and/ or better sleep.

It can physically stimulate conscious or unconscious body movements, similar to toe-tapping or large body movements, and bettered gait (walking) and speech.

Pain Management.

Reduced asthma episodes.

Help premature babies with weight gain and sleep.

Help people with Parkinson’s with their motor functions.

3. Spiritual

Music can open the door spiritually and allow one the occasion to explore spiritual beliefs.

4. Cognitive

Music can increase one’s sense of control.

Healthy coping strategies.

Reduce dementia’s effects.

5. Social

Music can bring people together socially, not just at large gatherings similar to parties, or marriages but in a further informal, intimate manner. Help autistic children improve communication.

How effective is Music Therapy?

Through musical involvement in the remedial environment, one’s capacities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their life. For example, one could practice vowel sounds by singing, which encourages the use of those sounds when speaking. Music therapy can have a positive effect on numerous aspects of an individual’s life.

If you believe you could benefit from professional mental health support from a music therapist, speak with the "Psychologist near me" and Online Counsellor through the Online Counselling of your choice about your difficulties. With just one click, you can connect with the Top psychologists in India, career counsellors, psychologists, and psychiatrists at TalktoAngel, the No1 Career Counselling Platform in India, who can help you handle your mental health difficulties and take care of your mental health and also help you to chart life for happier living.

Contribution by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Best Counselor & Life Coach & Ms. Varshni Nayyar