Songwriting can be used in the music therapy setting to address emotional expression needs and process trauma. For situations where written language is less accessible to the client, drawing can be used as a substitute for written language in songwriting projects. In I Will Follow You: The Combined Use of Songwriting and Art to Promote Healing in a Child Who Has Been Traumatized, Katurah R. Christenbury, MMT, MT-BC describes the process of prompting a young child to create drawings based on different emotions. She then used these drawings to create songs for the child as part of processing their trauma.

Providing the opportunity for a child to express their emotions through drawing, then making musical decisions such as how fast or slow to play, or the volume at which to play, can provide them an outlet to explain the complexities of their emotions.

In my own music therapy practice, I use songwriting to encourage children to identify their emotions, explore the roots of those emotions, and facilitate emotional expression in an engaging way.

 

-Karina Gluys, MT-BC