Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health diagnosis caused by witnessing or experiencing trauma. Studies show that music therapy is effective in healing from the multidimensional effects of trauma, coping with PTSD symptoms, and supporting mental and emotional health.
WHY music therapy can help
Music can comfort, relax, elevate mood, and give us tools to communicate and express what we feel. Music therapy maximizes the effects of music in the context of a therapeutic relationship to help individuals meet their therapeutic goals.
Music therapy can help this clientele to:
- Enhance emotional regulation
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve relaxation
- Promote interpersonal connection and sense of belonging
- Build coping skills
- Express and process emotions
- Elevate mood
- Improve concentration, focus, and mental clarity
- Provide motivation and sense of purpose
- Develop new leisure skills
- Enhance self-compassion
- Promote self-actualization
HOW music therapy is used
A variety of music therapy interventions, methods and techniques can be used with this clientele including receptive and active musical experiences. Experiences are designed to be adapted according to clients’ personal preferences, goals, strengths, and needs.
Sessions can include:
- Songwriting to express and process emotions
- Music and relaxation such as breathing and progressive muscle relaxation
- Music improvisation to connect with others and communicate feelings
- Music and grounding techniques to focus on the here and now
- Music and art as a visual way of releasing emotions
- Song discussion of songs discussing relevant themes
- Vocal improvisation and toning to connect with self
- Instrumental ensembles to facilitate interpersonal interaction
- Active music listening to relax the nervous system and focus attention
- Music and imagery to process conscious and subconscious material
Research and references
At the Institute, we believe sharing knowledge is a fundamental part of our role. Our Resources section includes a growing list of research articles, presentations, videos and other documents, all dedicated to demonstrating how music therapy can positively impact this population and many others.
You will find these references, and more:
- Drumming through trauma: Music therapy with post-traumatic soldiers
- Short-Term Music Therapy Attention and Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMAART) for Prisoners with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Feasibility Study
- Video: Music Therapy: Group Music Pain Model
To discover those references and other available sources of information, click here: Resources & references about PTSD