Music Therapy and Grief

Something that pertains to everyone in the world is something that is not often talked about.  It is something that can or may affect us for years.  It also may take us by surprise with a memory triggered by our senses, or a situation. The topic I speak of today is grief.  

Although grief is different for each individual, it is something that we all face. 

As music therapists at Keynote, we are licensed professionals that use music as a tool to work on non-musical goals.  Goals may involve the improvement or maintenance of physical health, emotional well being, cognitive skills, social functioning, communication abilities and spiritual needs. 

In responding to grief, music is universal, individual, group cohesive, and a means of expression.  Grief comes in various forms.  Loss of a loved one, loss of ability, loss of a marriage, loss of independence.

Today I will touch on some music therapy interventions that will implement the healing process.  

The following acronym is included in the book:  Music of the Soul Composing Life Out of Loss, written by Joy Berger, DMA, FT, BCC, MT-BC.

I have included intervention ideas within the acronym. 

Healing Techniques:  Hear

                                   Explore

                                   Affirm

                                   Learn

Hear:  Listen/create a play list with music significant to specific moments in your life. 

• Do this first with music related to yourself.

• When ready, add in music significant to specific moments relating to your loss.

• The music therapist may introduce lyric analysis or fill in the blank songwriting to ease into    more difficult topics. 

Explore:  Identify emotions, associations, images connected to a particular piece of music. 

• Do this first with music related to yourself.

• Identify your current state of emotion, and match music to that emotion.

• The music therapist may use the iso principle-matching an individual with music at their current mood or state, then gradually altering music to gently guide individuals towards a more positive mood or desired state. 

• Focus on what type of music or song choice brings you comfort, energizes you, allows you to cry deep inside, brings you hope

• Explore if there is a time, place or person in your life that you would like to revisit.

• The music therapist may introduce songwriting to work through emotions related to grief 

Affirm: Self identify or share with others what music you have found meaningful and helpful through your grief process.

• If working within a group, affirm the diversity and individuality of each other's meaningful music.

• Much further into the healing process, relisten to a specific piece of music that evoked an earlier catharsis.  Explore previous emotional responses to the music that now may have shifted, or changed. 

Learn: Continue to learn about grief.

• Join a grief support group. Relating to others in similar or the same circumstances reminds us that we are not alone. 

• Many hospitals, churches, and towns offer bereavement support groups across the Twin Cities area.

Thank you for reading about this important topic.