Music Therapy For Trauma
For this blog post I am going to be looking at a treatment approach for PTSD that was not mentioned in the modules or readings. However, I believe that this approach uses very similar concepts as approaches we have explored in the course. The treatment approach I will be focusing on is music therapy, specifically for individuals who suffer from PTSD or childhood trauma. Music therapy can be implemented in two different ways: passively or actively. Passive music therapy is the act of listening music to relax, improve mood or allow the listener to focus on something else besides a difficult or triggering memory (Robb-Dover, 2021). Active music therapy on the other hand is the act of creating music to relax or process negative emotions or memories (2021). In this post I will discuss these two different approaches to music therapy for trauma survivors and the concepts from the course that they have in common. I will also discuss some of the limitations and criticisms of music therapy as well as my personal thoughts on the approach.
Active music therapy, especially the actions of singing a song or singing along in a group can be very therapeutic for trauma survivors. Singing can create a sense of social reciprocity because it relies on being connected to the rhythm and lyrics of a song and to sing at the same time as others in a group (Hussey et al., 2008). Singing can also allow an individual to process trauma and re-contextualize it in a musical setting. For example, if an individual relates strongly to the lyrics of a particular song, singing this song can create an emotional outlet and a safe space to process trauma (Steward, 2018).
Passive music therapy allows listeners of music to momentarily lose a sense of time, space and even personal identity while maintaining an overall sense of being and feeling (Sutton & De Backer, 2009). This also allows listeners to process their trauma in a different context than originally experienced which can allow for growth and resilience. After hearing music or musical stimuli, a therapist can guide the listener through processing what they have heard and connecting it to personal experiences. While this process allows individuals to be mindful of musical patterns, it can also increase mindfulness of feelings and stimuli in the real world. Therefore, music therapy is often paired with cognitive behavioral therapy (Hussey et al., 2008).
Both approaches use theories that we have discussed throughout the course. Specifically, the fact that trauma affects neurobiological processes, especially those that recognize stimuli and discriminate between threats and non-threats (Rousseau, 2022). Dr. Van Der Kolk stated that this trauma is encoded in the brain as a physical sensation and becomes difficult to express vocally or verbally (2015). PTSD sufferers are also much more sensitive to dopamine reception which can leave them at risk of developing substance use disorders (Brodnik et al., 2017). Music allows a dopamine releasing activity that is much healthier than using controlled substances and can even promote the creation of new neural pathways that are necessary for healing from trauma (Bronson et al., 2018).
Music is of great interest to me as an area of study which I got to explore in some of my undergraduate courses. It is also of great personal interest to me as I play multiple instruments and my mother is a music teacher. Music for me has been a great source of both relaxation from stress and social connection by listening to or playing music in groups. The biggest obstacles of this approach from my perspective are lack of structure across approaches and the risk of exposure to inadvertently triggering stimuli. Lack of structure because becoming a dedicated music therapist is very difficult and creating personalized approaches to care for this type of therapy is very important. Therefore, if an individual is simply exposed to music or tasked with learning how to create music in an unstructured format, they are at risk of either becoming discouraged or even further traumatized by the stimuli around them.
Sources:
Brodnik, Z. D., Black, E. M., Clark, M. J., Kornsey, K. N., Snyder, N. W., & España, R. A. (2017). Susceptibility to traumatic stress sensitizes the dopaminergic response to cocaine and increases motivation for cocaine. Neuropharmacology, 125, 295–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.032
Bronson, H., Vaudreuil, R., & Bradt, J. (2018). Music therapy treatment of active duty military: An overview of intensive outpatient and longitudinal care programs. Music Therapy Perspectives, 36(2), 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miy006
Gooding, L. F., & Langston, D. G. (2019). Music therapy with military populations: A scoping review. Journal of Music Therapy, 56(4), 315–347. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thz010
Hussey, D. L., Reed, A. M., Layman, D. L., & Pasiali, V. (2008). Music therapy and complex trauma: A protocol for developing social reciprocity. Residential Treatment For Children & Youth, 24(1-2), 111–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/08865710802147547
Robb-Dover, K. (2021, November 3). How music is therapy for PTSD and other mental illnesses. FHE Health – Addiction & Mental Health Care. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from https://fherehab.com/learning/music-therapy-ptsd-mentall-illness#:~:text=Music%20therapy%20for%20PTSD%20can,positive%20part%20of%20self%2Dcare.
Rousseau, D. (2022). Trauma and Crisis Intervention
Stewart, K. (2018). All roads lead to where I stand: A veteran case review. Music and Medicine, 10(3), 130. https://doi.org/10.47513/mmd.v10i3.621
Sutton, J., & De Backer, J. (2009). Music, trauma and silence: The state of the art. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 36(2), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2009.01.009