Over the years, different treatment approaches have been introduced to people with Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. In many cases, people with PTSD have gone through an extremely traumatic event, so treatment options change and vary depending on their responses and improvement.
Popular PTSD treatment options include medication and psychotherapy, but there are also many alternative approaches that have been proven to help improve PTSD symptoms in some cases.
One of these therapeutic applications is music therapy, which has scientific evidence of benefits in relieving symptoms of PTSD. Many experts believe in the power of music therapy in dealing with PTSD. Many have seen it worked positively in their patients as well.
We’ve gathered thoughts and first-hand experiences of some of these experts so we can have a better understanding of music therapy and its effect on healing and overall improvement of PTSD patients.
Music Therapy for PTSD: What the Experts Say
Roxanne Christian, MT-BC, MTA, a music therapist and founder of Live Love Life Music took up as music therapy program at the University of Windsor, and here’s what she has to say:
Music therapists work with a wide variety of populations, needs and ages. Music therapists will often use sound, vibration, imagery, signing, music playing, composition, and movement in specific ways that can help the individual."
Although she doesn’t keep up with different scientific studies on music therapy and its effect on PTSD patients, her claim on the benefits of music comes from her almost 2 decades of experience working with people with PTSD and her history of working for reputed institutions such as Coaling State Hospital, Aurora Charter Oak Hospital, The Canadian Mental Health Association, and Dr. Roz’s Healing Place.
A general medical practitioner, Dr. Giuseppe Aragona, recognizes the power of music therapy in helping individuals experiencing PTSD.
However, he also points out that there might be a counter-benefit in using music therapy.
Although this counter-benefit can be very true for some patients, the same approach can also work well in bringing back good memories to help relieve PTSD symptoms, and Integrative Health & Brain Coach, Karen Malkin, agrees:
She also cited an example of many medical basis of how music therapy can help.
Listening to music has been demonstrated to reduce cortisol levels and enhance estrogen and testosterone levels. Music can enhance your everyday activities and make them more enjoyable (your exercise routine, work experience, household chores, etc.). Music can also help you focus, concentrate, de-stress, and fall asleep.”
Another expert who has a first-hand experience in observing musical therapy is Dr. Fran Walfish, a regular expert child psychologist on The Doctors. Here’s her story:
After being asked to demonstrate the drumming patterns with their hands on the tables, the children were required to read sentences out loud while drumming the same patterns. This process facilitated more fluidity and speed-reading."
With her experience in the field, Dr. Fran fully believes in the benefits of music therapy, not only in PTSD patients, but also in children and adults with different learning disabilities.
The rhythms, for instance, in teaching children and adults to drum out specific beating patterns can stabilize energy levels, speech patterns, and re-teach neurological wiring systems for different synapses. ”
A personal growth and spiritual practice advocate, a meditation teacher, and an expert in the field of meditating with brainwave entrainment/binaural beats technology, David Foley of Unify Cosmos, joins all the other experts in acknowledging the benefits of music therapy.
When asked if music therapy works for those experiencing PTSD, his answer was:
The rhythms, for instance, in teaching children and adults to drum out specific beating patterns can stabilize energy levels, speech patterns, and re-teach neurological wiring systems for different synapses. ”
Conclusion
Dealing with PTSD can be difficult, yet with the expansion of therapy options as years go by, people can have the freedom to explore what works best for them. Therapists can help introduce different ways of managing PTSD symptoms, including music therapy, but it is also very important to be open to this alternative approach in order to find the best one that will fit your needs.
Hopefully, by knowing the thoughts of different experts about music therapy, people can be receptive to its possible benefits, as other individuals have experienced and experts have observed.
