top of page
Search

Striking the Right Chord: How Music Therapy Soothes the Mind and brings Mental Wellness 

Author: Camryn Buckley 

Date: April 27, 2025 


Music is such a cornerstone in the human experience. Music allows us to be creatively free and express our inner selves. Music has become commodified in modern day and it seems difficult to go anywhere without hearing music playing in the background. Instead of letting this art and tool fall into the background playlist of your life, let's explore the mindful and mental implications that come from being present in music. 

Music is connected to so much of our lived experience and can have a significant impact on our emotional  and cognitive functioning. One benefit that has been discovered is how engaging in music fosters neuroplasticity and helps promote healthy cognitive aging (Zaatar, et. al, 2023). Outside of cognitive functioning, music has also been found to cause the brain to react to pain in a similar way that it would react to an actual physical wound, causing the brain to release pain reducing opioids that make us feel better just by listening to our favorite songs (Villarreal, et. al, 2014). When these endorphins are released, they also provide distraction to the client's pain due to listening centers occupying more sensory space typically dedicated to noticing things like pain, to be occupied by the experience of listening to music grabbing our attention. Outside of emotional regulation, music clearly is a very influential art that can help support our wellbeing, which we provide some opportunities to try below.


Music Therapy and The Therapy of Music 

There is a practice of therapy that utilizes music’s healing components to bring mental benefits. Music Therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses music to enhance a person’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Music therapy has been shown to support mental health by relieving stress, pain, anxiety and more in clients who are coping with a difficult diagnosis (National Cancer Institute, 2025). Actions such as singing, creating, moving, listening, relating or relaxing to music has been connected to lessening the effects of anxiety and depression, shifting mood and increasing motivation (Kubicek, 2022).  Research has also supported that participating in music activities can help facilitate an emotional release and promote reflection and healing (American Music Therapy Association, 2005).  Interestingly, music therapy emerged after World War 1 and 2 as a way to help soldiers process trauma and is now often used in settings like hospitals and schools to help alleviate pain (American Music Therapy Association, 2005). Music therapy from then to now has shown its healing abilities and future research could further validate the coping strategies music therapy promotes. 

A common misconception is that music therapy is only supportive to those with a music background and/or only beneficial within a specific genre of music. For example, someone may enjoy listening to instrumental music to bring feelings of relaxation or rap to evoke excitement, or vice versa! Music therapy can be beneficial in many different ways,  promoting a safe and supportive environment where one can feel a sense of belonging and community through these musical acts.  Listening to music can aid in changing one's emotional state and being able to shift to a desired mood, but also help promote and regulate their current emotional state. 

Outside of traditional music therapy, music can be used in treatments such as music bilateral stimulation. EMDR music utilizes the music stimulation to help clients process traumatic memories. Altering between your left and right ear,  using tones or beats to stimulate both sides of the brain, one can enhance processing in a therapeutic space and reduce emotional distress. Bilateral stimulation can be used in treatments for anxiety, trauma, and stress through dual attention stimulation to help clients reprocess difficult memories (Bilateral music for Anxiety, Stress and Trauma, 2025) 

Music therapy is a versatile and evidence-based approach by helping people with their overall well-being. Through improving mental wellness, alleviating stress, reducing pain, creating community and building confidence in clients, music can be a very valuable tool that is sometimes overlooked. Music therapy is for everyone and can also be beneficial outside of traditional therapy settings. 


Conclusion

Music therapy is a versatile approach to helping us find mental and emotional support. The impact of music on the brain is vast, connecting memory, emotion and physical responses, making it a powerful tool for healing and personal growth. This article is just a small look into the world of music and healing. Further exploration of music’s therapeutic effect continues to provide deeper insight into how this universal art can be harnessed for mental health and wellness. 

Music can be used for healing purposes in and out of formal music therapy practices. Music as an art form helps people express their emotions, experiences, and thoughts creatively. Not all of us have the song writing trait, but through music, we can relate and empathize with others and often feel more connected to our own experience as well. This is one way that a sense of community can be formed and helpful for healing. Wherever you are on your mental health journey, finding ways to incorporate music might offer new pathways to healing and growth. I invite you to perhaps try some of these short activities to see if music can help support you:


  • Make a playlist for your morning to help start your day right 

  • Add songs that evoke excitement and inspire you to get moving! 

  • Listen to songs that resonate with you and journal about why, how, and what it makes you feel

  • Send someone a song that makes you think of them and strengthen your relationships and sense of community

  • Make a playlist for tough moments to help lift your mood




At Mosaic Therapy Collective, we do not formally offer music therapy at this time. Our team of therapists are here to support their clients needs and coping skills which can include music or  EMDR. If you are interested in seeing if music therapy will help you check out these local Boulder/Denver surrounding area music therapy clinics:

  • Empower You Therapy Services

    • (720) 319-8196

  • Awake In Wellness

    • (720) 340-3869

  • Boulder Sound Therapy

    • (720) 352-7016 

  • Children’s Hosptial Colorado Music therapy

    • 720-777-4360



-----

References

American Music Therapy Association. (2005). Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/history/

Garza-Villarreal, E. A., Wilson, A. D., Vase, L., Brattico, E., Barrios, F. A., Jensen, T. S., … Vuust, P. (2014). Music reduces pain and increases functional mobility in fibromyalgia. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00090

Lorrie Kubicek, M.-B. (2022). Can music improve our health and quality of life? Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-music-improve-our-health-and-quality-of-life-202207252786

NCI Dictionary of Cancer terms. (2025). Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/music-therapy

T Zaatar, M., Alhakim, K., Enayeh, M., & Tamer, R. (2023). The transformative POWER OF MUSIC: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10765015/ 


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page