Music Therapy Case Study Examples

Case Examples of Music therapy for Survivors of Abuse by Kenneth E. Bruscia is a collection of case studies in which the clients discussed have been affected negatively by emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The emotions manifested by each study aided me as a reader to understand what everyone had to face physically and emotionally. Physical wounds heal on their own, but psychological symptoms often worsen over time without the proper treatment because these traumatic experiences infest cognition. These symptoms include but are not limited to: anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse, self-inflicted injuries, suicidal behavior, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each case study introduced the client’s background and the methods in which music therapy interventions and the therapists themselves tackled the assessment and treatment. Instead of reading from a scientific perspective or a clinical perspective, I could not help but read from a personal perspective. Some of the techniques that were successful with the clients in this …show more content…
Bruscia explains in the introduction of the book what music therapy is and importantly states that clients do not need any musical training to receive music therapy. However, readers should know for example, prior knowledge of what guided imagery and music entails and how music can be utilized in psychotherapy. Readers also should know that due to the traumatic background of the individuals in these cases, their aggressive behaviors are a response due to previous painful encounters with their perpetrator and other harmful environmental factors. Even though people do not typically turn to music therapy as their first choice in professional help, the fact that these people can be treated with credit to music therapy is incredible. Music is relatable to anybody because no matter one’s temperament, style preference, age, etc., it exists in every