Music Therapy and Talk Therapy

Mental health is a growing area of discussion and concern in healthcare. Doctors typically prescribe people with mental illnesses one or more medications and may encourage them to see a therapist or psychiatrist. Common therapy techniques are typically coined “talk therapy”, since the concentration is on verbal discussion and processing. Combined treatment of both medication and therapy is typically seen as the effective form of treatment, and recent research states that talk therapy alone is seen as 75% effective (https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/understanding). For some, talk therapy and/or medication alone may be less effective or not provide the care and help you need. Others may find verbal processing to be difficult or inaccessible, and may need a different medium to explore.

Creative and expressive therapeutic alternatives, like music therapy can help provide a unique alternative or addition to talk therapy, using musical experiences and interventions and through a combination of verbal and nonverbal processing. Music therapy can be individualized to support specific areas of growth and goals, such as learning/establishing healthy coping skills, identifying and/or processing difficult emotions or situations, or encouraging positive view of self. According to Lee & Thyer (2013), both the use of music therapy alone and music therapy in addition to standard care (therapy and medication), is often followed by enhanced mental health outcomes among adults. 

Music therapy may be beneficial to people living with a variety of mental health needs, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or psychosis. Interventions and music therapy techniques can be tailored to the individual’s interests and needs as well as the diagnosis or symptoms. For those struggling with anxiety and depression, songwriting, song discussion, and music assisted relaxation may help to improve symptoms, while active music making, singing, and active listening may help those experiencing psychosis or related symptoms. 

It is important to note that while music therapy can be a helpful addition or alternative to talk therapy, music therapists are not a replacement for intensive psychotherapy. Music therapists are trained and certified clinicians who implement music-based activities with counseling techniques, and are not equivalent to licensed psychologists or mental health counselors. For this reason, music therapy is often recommended in addition to standard care for people experiencing higher support needs.