PsyZen

17/12/2020

The largest music therapy organization in the world, the American Music Therapy Association traces the formal beginnings of music therapy back to 1789. The earliest reference to music therapy was a paper called “Musically Physically Considered”, that was published in a Columbian magazine.

Even long before that, Pythagoras (c.570 – c. 495 BC), the Greek philosopher and mathematician prescribed a variety of musical scales and modes in order to cure an array of physical and psychological conditions.

However, perhaps the earliest account of the healing properties of music appear in the Jewish bible. In it, the story was that David, a skilled musician, could cure King Saul’s depression through music. There may even be earlier accounts of music therapy. Whether such religious texts are historically accurate or not, music was conceived as a therapeutic modality when such texts were written.

Music therapy emerged as a profession in the 20th century after World War I and World War II. Both amateur and professional musicians attended veterans’ hospitals to play for the veterans who had suffered physical and emotional trauma.

16/12/2020

During the process, you may be asked to tune in to your emotions as you perform these tasks or allow your feelings to direct your actions. For example, if you are angry you might play or sing loud, fast, and dissonant chords.

In addition to using music to express your feelings without words, you may also explore ways to change how you feel with music. If you express anger or stress, your music therapist might respond by having you listen to or create music with slow, soft, soothing tones. You may notice that switching to calm music makes you feel calm—and there’s a scientific explanation. Several studies have shown that heart rate and blood pressure readings respond to changes in volume and tempo.

15/12/2020

Music therapy can help support people of any age who might be experiencing challenges (including mental, intellectual, physical, emotional or social) or wishing to improve their well-being. From individual one-on-one settings to group sessions there are many ways music therapy can be integrated in to the life. There are a few ways a music therapist can plan and execute one-on-one therapy sessions; the direction they decide to go is highly dependent on the specific needs, abilities and goals of the individual.

Music therapy is used in many settings such as:

In the Studio: Some hospitals allow music therapist to have a small studio where patients can record their masterpieces. In a studio setting the patient can feel safe and empowered to express themselves through playing instruments, singing a piece they wrote or a combination of both. This self-expression can help them manage their feelings in a positive way while also gaining other health benefits, such as reducing stress and pain.
As an Outpatient: In an outpatient setting the music therapist meets with the patient on a scheduled basis to help achieve their medical goals. Although the person is under medical care they are not admitted into the hospital and go home after the session. The patient objectives can range from reaching a physical milestone to reaching an intellectual milestone.
In the Home: The music therapist may come to the home of the patient if they are unable to get to the therapist’s office. The benefit of a home-based session is that the person is comfortable in their surroundings. This can make them more open and receptive to the therapy techniques allowing for quicker progress.

11/12/2020

The conditions that can be treated with music therapy depend on the person and the setting but a number of diverse symptoms can be addressed with music therapy. Some of the problems that a person can get help with include mental health, developmental disability, medical/surgical and neurological disorders.

Music therapy has particular use in treating that last cohort. Neurological disorders may be related to mood disorders, as Italian researchers noted in a recent study on music therapy, making those clients impressionable to music. In the study, participants with depressive symptoms were engaged in musical interventions. The team found that musical exercises present a treatment option that is “valid and without side effects” for alleviating psychological and behavioral triggers, as well as contributing to recovery from such disturbances. Researchers pointed to not only how music stimulates different regions of the brain that perform irregularly in a depressive person but also how music therapy can promote better social cohesion, self-esteem and communicative skills on a psychological level.

Pain management is another area in which music therapy excels. A 2017 study stated that music therapy was found to decrease pain symptoms in clients recovering from spinal surgery. This efficacy has gained note among counselors and other stakeholders as music therapy presents an alternative treatment regimen devoid of drug dependency, possibly helping tackle the growing opioid abuse crisis.

Music therapy also has wide use in perioperative patients — those either being prepared for surgery, undergoing an operation or in the recovery/postoperative stage — because of its dopamine-inducing effects, which are similar to what opioids are used for but with less risk involved.

10/12/2020

Music therapy can benefit many individuals. The diverse nature of music means it can be applied in the treatment of concerns both physical and psychological. In some instances, the therapeutic use of music has been able to help people in ways that other forms of therapies have not, as it can sometimes elicit responses that may not appear through more traditional forms of treatment. When people find it difficult to express themselves verbally, they may display a greater degree of interest and engagement in music therapy than they would in a more traditional form of therapy. No background in music is required for a person to benefit from this approach.

Because music can evoke positive emotions and stimulate reward centers in the brain, music therapy is often able to alleviate symptoms of mental health concerns such as: Depression , Mood-related concerns, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Substance dependency, Autism, Personality issues, Insomnia, Dementia.

Music therapy can both assess and enhance cognitive, social, emotional, and motor functioning, and studies have shown positive results among individuals who have intellectual or physical difficulties, brain injuries, or Alzheimer's. This type of therapy has also been used in the treatment of physical ailments such as cancer and hypertension.

The positive effects of music therapy are not limited to those coping with severe or long-lasting physical and psychological problems, and this therapy can benefit people in a variety of situations. Music is frequently used to reduce stress levels and pain perception among mothers in labor and has been associated with improvements in self-esteem, self-concept, verbal communication, prosocial behavior, socialization skills, group cohesion, and coping skills.

04/12/2020

"When you hear the word ‘Energy’, what is the one thing that comes to your mind? Is it something you want to feel, something you do feel, or something you don’t want to feel? The word ‘energy’ has different connotations in different schools of thought. It can be a quantitative property that can be transferred to an object in order to perform work on it. It can be the strength and vitality required to perform physical or mental activity. Energy is an essential part of our daily lives."

Check out our latest article "Understanding Energies : How They Shape Our Lives" by Diksh*ta Agarwal.

By Diksh*ta Agarwal When you hear the word ‘Energy’, what is the one thing that comes to your mind? Is it something you want to feel, something you do feel, or something you don’t want to feel? The word ‘energy’ has different connotations in different schools of thought. It can be a quanti...

25/11/2020

PsyZen is a counselling and therapy center driven with the vision of promoting emotional and mental well-being in the society and the mission to bring a positive change in the individual.
We primarily focus on spreading awareness about different forms of art, loving oneself, mental well-being.
So if you write about these matters and want to reach out to people, here is your chance! You can submit your articles to us and we’ll make them publish on our website (pro-bono).
So join us in our motto and help create a friendly and safe environment for everyone to talk freely.

24/11/2020

"When we talk of self-care, we talk of things that soothe our souls and make us feel relaxed. Self-care is an essential ingredient of life for us to function better and stay healthy, just like we opt for regular servicing for our machines to make them function better. Self-care is not very complex and can start from merely listening to one’s favorite music. So how are music and self-care related? Music soothes our mind and uplifts our mood."

Check out our latest article on "Music, Mood and Food" written by Vriti Sarna.

By Vriti Sarana When we talk of self-care, we talk of things that soothe our souls and make us feel relaxed. Self-care is an essential ingredient of life for us to function better and stay healthy, just like we opt for regular servicing for our machines to make them function better. Self-care is not...

23/11/2020

It was an amazing experience with Panda Flick today. Thank you for making it so much fun for us.

13/11/2020

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, everything shifted from physical to virtual. Our classes are held online, our work is online, and we are communicating online. Once, making online friends was considered a sign of introvert behavior and dangerous. Now it’s the only platform to meet people. COVID-19 has flipped our lives entirely, and we are doing things that we never thought we would do. From not being allowed to carry phones to our classes to our phones carrying us to the classes, we have evolved as a community. We have changed from wanting to spend extra time with our family to wanting some time off from our family."

Check out our new article, by Vriti Sarna.

By Vriti Sarna During the COVID-19 pandemic, everything shifted from physical to virtual. Our classes are held online, our work is online, and we are communicating online. Once, making online friends was considered a sign of introvert behavior and dangerous. Now it’s the only platform to meet peop...