As a parent or caregiver, you may only trust traditional and evidence-based treatment programs when considering the mental health of your teen. However, some comprehensive treatment programs include components of complementary and alternative medicine and other care strategies that follow a holistic approach. These have surprising benefits, including providing support for the primary components of the treatment.
For example, music is a medium that teens tend to gravitate toward naturally, so using music as a medium for treatment can be very effective. Searching for music therapy activities for teens near Denver, CO? Reach out to Imagine Fort Collins today by calling 888.291.2309 or contacting our team online.
What Is Teen Music Therapy?
Music therapy activities for teens include listening to songs, meditating on song lyrics, dancing to music, playing music, or even possibly writing a song. Music is a creative art form that allows emotions to be expressed and shared in multiple ways. In music therapy, teens can gain self-understanding and learn better ways to cope with their lives.
Music therapy uses music and songs as therapeutic tools to help teens heal. As mentioned above, this is done by encouraging self-awareness and self-expression.
How Does Music Therapy for Teens Work?
Teen music therapy interventions for teens work in different ways. When playing music patterns using an instrument, or writing lyrics to a song, teens practice improvisation and creativity. When listening to songs and talking about how certain music changes the way they feel, teens practice good mindfulness and communication habits. Some teens find moving or dancing to music feeling and pleasurable — they may even feel that it’s creative and expressive.
Teens may also discover that the words in popular songs express their feelings and experiences that they cannot express themselves. For example, discussing the violent lyrics of a song can help an angry teen express the full extent of their rage. After all, teens tend to gravitate to music that describes what they are feeling and what is important to them. This can help them feel like they’re not alone.
On the other hand, songs that don’t match what teens are feeling inside can also help — soothing music can help an anxious teen relax.
Why Are Mental Health Treatment Programs for Teens Essential?
Mental health counseling is often the ideal way for teens to deal with psychological or emotional difficulties. Mental health treatment must be available for teens because there’s a high rate of mental health issues developing in that age group. It would be a public health issue if the medical community didn’t address teen mental health issues properly.
However, CAM treatments can still be helpful — and they can be essential, in some cases. As we’ve learned above, music therapy interventions for teens can help support primary treatment such as mental health counseling. Sometimes, they also help make a comprehensive treatment program feel more progressive and fun and less stuffy.
Teenagers may feel confused by the emotions they’re experiencing and other negative symptoms they’re dealing with. They may want to understand themselves better and learn how to take care of themselves properly. In cases like this, mental health counseling for teens can play a pivotal role. Therapists can work with teens and their families to create coping strategies for emotional difficulties such as depression or stress. Interventions such as music therapy can be used as both a form of treatment and a recreational activity, especially in group or family settings.
Ready to Learn More About Imagine Fort Collins’s Music Therapy Options?
If you’re looking for music therapy activities for teens near Denver, CO, contact Imagine Fort Collins today. Reach out to our team online or call 888.291.2309.