Then Sings my Soul
Katherine Sherrill, M.A., LCMHCA, MT-BC
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato
Music is one of the most versatile and accessible ways to engage in a person’s story. We all have songs that capture our current feelings, our most treasured memories, and the daring hope for our future. Our likes and dislikes of genre, style, and lyrics are almost as unique as our fingerprints. Music is often referred to as a universal language that can unite people across contexts. I think of music as an expression of humanity that can celebrate the diversity within it. Music is an all brain experience. We know from studies of people playing or engaging in music that it “lights up” a large portion of the brain when looked at under a functional MRI.
Music Therapy is an allied health profession in which music therapists use evidence-based and clinical music interventions to accomplish goals within a therapeutic relationship. Music therapists work in hospitals, rehab facilities, private practices, and schools, to name a few. The different groups music therapists work with are from all ages, abilities, and contexts. In my work at SCG, music therapy is one specialty I use with clients to reach their goals in counseling. Through music therapy interventions, my client’s abilities are strengthened and then transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy provides additional avenues for communication, expression, interpretation, and imagination. The American Music Therapy Association and clinical health professionals have researched music therapy and supports its effectiveness in many areas such as: “overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people's motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings” (AMTA, 2020).
While music therapy occurs in the therapeutic space. I encourage and help guide clients to also using music therapeutically at home, work, and school. Therapeutic music can be active, such as playing instruments, singing, or moving, or passive, such as listening to music or writing lyrics. Both types of music interventions activate different parts of the brain to aid in reaching a variety of goals. Many of us have songs we listen to when we feel a certain way. We have music that we use when we are trying to focus or a playlist when we are hanging out with friends. People have songs that capture their first concerts, dances, loves, or heartbreaks. Our lives are recorded in music. I encourage individuals to continue that recording and even write their own lyrics. Music therapy interventions, in conjunction with person-centered treatment, are powerful ways for us to discover creative solutions for personal growth.
