Have you ever had the experience of listening to a certain type of song, beat, or sound that can impact how you feel?  How one minute you feel totally fine and the next you are feeling energized or sobbing in your car belting out some ballad?  I know for me music can totally change my mood and I have different music types for different activities and things.

When I’m doing therapy notes or creative work I prefer to listen to soft instrumental spa like music. Doing a presentation? I need something with a strong beat like “7 Nation Army” by the Whitestripes. If I need a good cry? You better believe I’m putting something very sappy on. What about when you are watching a movie; can you even imagine the Star War’s movies without their intro song?!

My language class in college was American Sign Language and apart of our class we were required to go visit and immerse ourselves in deaf and hard of hearing culture. That included going to deaf based bars and get togethers. When I would go to these events in college and hear experience them music at these things it grew my understanding that music has a feel.

Have you ever wondered why music can have such a profound impact on your body and mind??

Sound’s Influence on Mind and Body

Music therapy research and sound healing practices has shown us that sound has a profound impact on human consciousness, physiology, and emotion. The premise is that auditory stimuli can:

• Influence Brainwave States: Theory of brainwave entrainment posits that the brain’s electrical cycles will synchronize with the rhythm and frequency of external auditory stimuli. It may help to guide your brain from an active, alert beta state to more relaxed alpha and even meditative theta states, which are associated with reduced stress and heightened creativity.
• Physiological Responses: Sound vibrations can directly affect your body. Directly impacting your parasympathetic nervous system response such as slower heart rate, deeper breathing, and a reduction in blood pressure .
• Emotional and Psychological Change: Sound can make us feel things by evoking memories, emotions, and shifting mood. 

Are Sound Healing and Music Therapy the Same?

At first glance, sound healing and music therapy can appear similar as they do overlap with the belief that sound can be used to foster well-being, and from a listener’s perspective, the calming effects of a sound bath might feel akin to the relaxation experienced in a music therapy session. However, while they share a common medium of sound their underlying theories, professional frameworks, and applications reveal two distinctly different fields of practice.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a clinical and evidence-based profession practiced by credentialed professionals (MT-BC, or Music Therapist – Board Certified). Its theories are rooted in psychology, neuroscience, and developmental science. In music therapy you can expect to find the same standards and theoretical underpinnings of mental health therapy the difference being the modality and medium including sound and music.

What to expect in music therapy:

The Therapeutic Relationship: Music therapy like all therapy approaches highlights the therapeutic relationship and alliance as core to the process and making change. The music serves as a medium through which therapeutic goals are addressed. 

Goal-Oriented and Individualized Treatment: Music therapy sessions are structured around specific, measurable goals tailored to the individual’s needs, whether they are physical, emotional, cognitive, or social. These goals could range from improving motor skills to facilitating emotional expression in an individual with trauma.

Active and Receptive Methods: Music therapists employ a wide range of techniques, including creating music (improvising, songwriting), re-creating music (playing or singing existing pieces), and receptive listening, where the therapist guides the client through a specific listening experience to elicit a therapeutic response.

Standardized Education and Regulation: Music therapists undergo rigorous academic and clinical training and must pass a national board certification exam. In many states, music therapy is a licensed profession, ensuring a standard of care and ethical practice.

Sound Healing

Sound healing is a holistic field with roots in ancient spiritual traditions. It is not standardized or regulated by a board and you do not have to have any mental health background to guide sound baths or sound healing. 

• Resonance and Frequency: A central theory in sound healing is the principle of resonance, which suggests that the vibrations of the instruments can restore the body’s own natural vibratory frequencies to a state of harmony.
• Vibrational Impact: Sound healing places a strong emphasis on the physical sensation of vibration. Instruments like singing bowls and gongs are used to “bathe” the recipient in sound
• Intuitive and Spiritual Focus: The practice is often more intuitive and spiritually oriented. While it can be deeply therapeutic, the primary goal is often to induce deep relaxation, quiet the mind, and facilitate a connection to a higher state of consciousness, rather than targeting specific clinical outcomes.
• No Regulation: Sound healing is currently an unregulated field. While many practitioners are highly skilled and knowledgeable, there is no standardized training, certification, or licensure requirement.

Music Therapy is an experiential evidenced based and researched therapeutic approach to mental health and health care alike. Sound healing is a holistic practice that can be a supportive practice to wellness and wellbeing.