Observation of a Music Therapy Session
Music therapy becomes an expressive arts intervention that will be considered within the framework of this journal response. It focuses on playing music to help the patient reduce stress and increase calm. It is worth noting that it can also be used to change the general mood during therapy. As part of the intervention, the patient was turned on various music, from calm to energetic and aggressive, and his mental state was monitored. Moreover, the patient showed a non-verbal reaction to certain songs and responded to them.
During the expressive arts intervention, the volunteer was first asked to describe his attitude toward music and how often he listens to it. Then, special attention was paid to what kind of music he listens to when he is restless, having fun, sad, or angry. The patient was particularly interested in the use of the music selection technique. It implies that “music selection often accompanies guided visual imagery where the therapist urges the client to imagine himself in a pleasant environment while the music continues to play in the background” (Chowdhury, 2023, para. 50). During the implementation of this approach, the patient showed the most significant engagement in the therapy process and return on his experiences and emotions.
Benefits of Music Therapy
I believe that music therapy, as an expressive arts intervention, plays a positive role in helping both minor and adult clients. It is stated that “Active music therapy approaches have been used to treat a single condition or alleviate symptoms of several psychiatric or neurological disorders regarding cognitive, emotional, social, and motor functioning” (Schneider et al., 2022, p. 622). This aspect is also due to the high level of flexibility and adaptivity of this approach. In other words, giving individuals a choice about the music they would like to listen to and reflect upon becomes an aspect that works exceptionally well within the framework of the therapy being discussed. Thus, on the therapy side, it could provide an effective way to reduce stress and discomfort in patients, thereby helping achieve positive results.
First of all, music therapy would be an appropriate intervention for an adolescent client, as it helps improve skills such as emotional expression and regulation. This happens through listening to music and forming positive associations that help increase individuals’ calmness. In addition, this therapeutic approach helps improve patients’ communication skills. This is because they must describe in detail their experiences and emotions during the intervention. Thus, they get the opportunity to understand themselves better.
The main positive contribution that music therapy has is to provide an approach that will promote coping with stress and anxiety. Thus, clients will be allowed to cope with difficulties outside the specialist’s office, thereby further strengthening their self-regulation skills. In particular, this aspect is necessary when you need to influence mood and reduce stress quickly. This is especially true for the adolescent client, who faces various irritants in everyday life and needs measures that have helped them deal with adverse circumstances.
References
Chowdhury, M. R. (2023). 15 music therapy activities and tools. Positive Psychology.
Schneider, L., Gossé, L., Montgomery, M., Wehmeier, M., Villringer, A., & Fritz, T. H. (2022). Components of active music interventions in therapeutic settings—Present and future applications. Brain Sciences, 12(5), 622.