I am the queen of the mix-tape, burned CD’s and Spotify playlists. Ever since I can remember, music has been playing – at the breakfast table, on the bus on the way to school (thanks to an awesome sport Walkman and a 45 minute bus ride) and now in the car when I drive, clean the house, work out or an impromptu dance party with my kids. I believe that music is a powerful mood manipulator. It has the power to pump us up, raise our spirits, make us smile and let us know that we are not alone in our pain. There’s a reason all the classic films have iconic soundtracks. Try picturing Rocky Balboa running up the art museum steps with “Gonna Fly Now” blaring as he reaches the top.
As a therapist, particularly with teens and young adults, we talk about and listen to a lot of music. Music is an extremely powerful coping skill. For teens and young adults, music provides a sense of identity expression that few other mediums provide. I encourage my clients to make playlists reflective of their moods; both the emotion they are feeling in the moment and what emotion they want to be experiencing. We also print out and discuss lyrics of songs that validate how they are feeling or that resonate with them for any reason. Martha Linehan discusses the idea of “Opposite Action” in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as a means to help regulate and manage emotions. The idea is to change and shift emotions by identifying the current emotion a client is describing and observing, identifying the urges and behaviors associated with this emotion and then performing an action opposite that current emotion. Music can be a powerful tool in encouraging and participating in that opposite action.
Below is an example of an activity I do with my teen and young adults’ clients that utilizes music as a coping skill that both inspires and activates opposite action:
- On a piece of paper, we make 4 columns labeled: emotions, urges, opposition action, song.
- Then we identify the emotion the client is currently experiencing through observation and description. Then we identify the urges and ways to act opposite the current emotions.
- Lastly, we identify song(s) that encourage or reflect opposite action.
Emotion Urge Opposite Action Song
-Sad Be Alone Be around friends/Family Count on Me
-Bruno Mars
-Angry Yell/Fight Be kind 3 little Birds
-Bob Marley
-Frustrated Give Up Persevere Rise Up
-Andra Day
This activity is one of many ways to incorporate music into sessions with clients. In addition, having access to music platforms such as Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music and YouTube are also helpful.
Erin Arwady, LMSW is an experienced, creative therapist for individuals, children, and families. Utilizing an integration of holistic techniques such as mindfulness and expressive arts and intentional evidence-based strategies such as CBT and DBT, Erin helps individuals and families identify their goals, express feelings and thoughts, and develop healthy coping skills.