Art and Music Therapy for Mental Health

What is Art & Music Therapy?

Art and music therapy are forms of expressive therapy that use creative processes to improve mental health and well-being. During therapy, you can explore your thoughts and feelings through artistic expression and musical engagement. In many cases, the therapy helps you reveal insights that are difficult to verbalize.

In art therapy, various visual art forms such as painting, drawing, or sculpting are utilized for self-expression. Music therapy encompasses creating, singing, moving to, or listening to music. Both therapeutic approaches can significantly reduce stress, enhance self-esteem, and facilitate emotional release. Art and music therapy can take many forms, tailored to individual comfort levels. In collaboration with your counselor, you may engage in:

• Guided painting sessions
• Collage-making workshops
• Clay modeling and sculpture
• Drumming circles
• Group songwriting
• Music listening and discussion groups
• Instrument learning and practice

You may benefit from art and music therapy if you are dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma. We can tailor your art or music therapy to your preferences and abilities. If you don't want to sing or play an instrument, you can listen to music with your therapists, finding songs that describe your feelings. You can try sculpting clay or painting a mural to illustrate your emotions.

Whether you're musically inclined or have never picked up a paintbrush, art and music therapy can offer valuable tools for your mental health journey.

Who Art and Music Therapy Can Help

Art and music therapy programs are integral components of the residential treatment plans at Banyan Mental Health. All individuals participating in our program can benefit from these creative therapeutic approaches.

If any of the following describe you or your loved one, contact us to learn more about our art and music therapy options:

• Anxiety or depression: Creative activities provide stress relief and emotional outlets, complementing other treatment approaches.
• Adults with co-occurring disorders: For residents dealing with both mental health and substance use issues, art and music therapy provide holistic support for their complex needs.
• Adults with PTSD: Our creative therapies offer safe, non-verbal ways to process traumatic experiences in a supportive environment.

Banyan Mental Health integrates art and music therapy into your personalized treatment plans. Our approach ensures that you, regardless of age or specific condition, benefit from these powerful, creative healing tools.

Benefits of Art & Music Therapy for Mental Health

Sometimes, it's difficult to talk about what you're thinking or feeling. You may struggle to describe what you've experienced with words. Through art and music therapy for mental health, you have an outlet for non-verbal self-expression. If you can't give words to your experiences or feelings, you can draw or paint them or use music to express them.

Both art and music engage different parts of the brain than verbal communication. They can potentially unlock new insights and coping strategies. Through art or music, you also get a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment.

Benefits of Art Therapy

• Stress reduction: Making art can lower your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.  A 2016 study in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association found that 45 minutes of artistic expression led to a drop in the hormone.
• Emotional expression: Art can free you, helping you express complex emotions that may be difficult to verbalize. You may find this particularly true if you've been through trauma.
• Improved self-esteem: Creating art gives you a boost of confidence and self-worth. A study examining the overall benefits of art therapy found that art making helped to improve the self esteem of patients.

Benefits of Music Therapy

• Mood enhancement: A 2017 study found that music therapy significantly reduced depressive symptoms.
• Improved social connections: Group music activities foster social bonds and communication skills. 
• Lower stress levels: Similar to creating visual art, listening to or creating music can help calm you down and lower your stress.