Music Therapy for Teens Experiencing Anxiety and Depression

Written By Kate Kelly, MT-BC, RYT-200

Many adolescents today suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression that can be worsened by factors like social media, intense school work loads, lack of healthy coping strategies and more. This blog post explores how music therapy can assist in challenges teens experience related to mental health. Music therapy can help teens understand emotions, build healthy relationship skills, hone self-expression and find coping strategies for difficult experiences. 

A 2019 study in Research on Social Work Practice incorporated positive psychology and music therapy to reduce adolescent anxiety. The research demonstrates that teenagers who experienced music therapy showed significant increases in scores of hope, happiness, emotional awareness, and a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms. This study suggests that  incorporating music therapy into a teenager’s mental health treatment can be effective in alleviating certain symptoms and enhancing quality of life. 

At Empower Music Therapy in Nashville, TN, we aim to draw from empirical data in our therapy work with adolescents with and without disabilities. We use music-based techniques like improvisation, songwriting, lyric discussion, and instrument exploration to allow teens to have a safe place to build self-awareness and healthy habits. In our experience working with adolescents, we have found music therapy to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression by giving teens the freedom to experience the healing power of music in an emotionally safe, confidential environment. 

Kate Kelly, MT-BC, RYT-200

Hi there! I’m Kate Kelly, the proud owner and director of Empower Music Therapy, LLC. I’m a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), singer-songwriter, and registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) in Nashville, Tennessee.

My journey in Nashville started at Belmont University, where I was a founding member of the music therapy program and was among the first graduating class of music therapy students in 2016. As a practicum student I worked with adolescents with behavioral challenges, children with disabilities, adults with mental illnesses, children with terminal illnesses, and individuals in hospice care. After my first experiences as a music therapy practitioner, I ventured to Costa Rica and acquired a 200-hour yoga teaching certification to better incorporate mindfulness and trauma-informed movement into music therapy sessions.

Following my time at Belmont, I began working at Tristar Centennial Parthenon Pavilion in Nashville. There I received further intensive music therapy training and worked with adolescents, adults, and older adults with mood disorders, thought disorders, chemical dependencies, memory loss, and chronic illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings for over 5 years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I noticed an increased need for heath resources, safe places for self-expression, and inclusive communities for individuals with and without disabilities in the Nashville area. I felt that as a board-certified music therapist, I had a skill that could meet the needs of the world around me. I opened Empower Music Therapy and the rest is history! At our practice, I have a caseload of individuals of all ages with and without disabilities that I see individually and in groups. I also still provide mental health programming one day a week at Brightquest Treatment Centers, one of Empower’s community partners.

When I’m not seeing clients, I’m presenting at conferences, applying for grants, creating music therapy employee-enrichment programs, and expanding our practice. I absolutely love what I do! If you come to Empower for a session with Anna Laura or Maria, you will probably see me working at our clinic space. Feel free to come say hi! So glad you’re here.

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