Music is something that most people, especially adolescents, enjoy and strongly identify with. Music has strong emotional connections: it can calm you when you’re sad, energize you when you work out, let you cry when you need that release, and can typically bring back strong memories - whether good or bad.
When I worked with adolescents in a treatment facility, many of them were reluctant to talk in group therapy. Not only were they surrounded by their peers and didn’t want to be embarrassed or feel uncomfortable about sharing their issues, but all of them were there out of obligation. They were a tough group to reach. I developed a music therapy group while I was there, and the results were truly astounding. Not only did the kids develop a sense of belonging to the group, but best of all, everyone processed and shared, even the kids who wouldn’t speak in other groups.
The use of popular music in therapy is not just for groups but can be just as effective in one-on-one sessions, particularly with adolescents who may be wary of sharing feelings or uncomfortable with the talk therapy process in general. Here are some highlights of how we can use music as a platform for emotional processing.
Collaboration: Therapist and client decide together when to bring a song to therapy, which song it will be, and identify what part of the therapy goals it will address. It helps the client feel like they are an active part of the process and can lend a feeling of control in an otherwise new, uncertain environment.
Comfortability: As music choice is highly unique, sharing songs you like can lend comfort, or a feeling of bonding, to a new therapeutic relationship. It can also help develop a comforting atmosphere when particularly difficult feelings, emotions, topics arise.
Catalyst for deeper exploration: After listening to the song together during therapy (and reading the lyrics), there are a multitude of questions that can help to elicit therapeutic discussions: is it reminiscent, why does it move them, why are they drawn to it, how does it make them feel (physically and emotionally), how and why do they relate to it? These kinds of questions can lead to exploration of themes such as love, regret, abandonment, respect, loneliness, depression, escapism, family issues, friendships, etc.
Accessibility: Music and lyrics have a way of bypassing the defenses and going right to memories and emotions, making the therapeutic process more accessible. Music bypasses intellectualization and our usual defenses and allows the emotion to come forth. The songs are a platform, a literal jumping off point, to help focus discussion in a unique and very personal way.
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