What Is Music & Art Therapy?

Art therapy helps people cope with emotional conflict and trauma and increases self-awareness by creating, viewing, and discussing art. Art therapy is also a great way for people to express unconscious and unspoken concerns that would otherwise be difficult to share. Art therapists at our mental health program use pictures, art supplies, and visual symbols to help patients identify and address thoughts and feelings related to their mental illness. Mental disorders are often born of past trauma or unresolved emotional conflicts; our art therapists actively work with patients to help them through the healing process. Art therapy sessions can be held in individual or group settings, honoring both privacy and promoting peer support.

Music therapy uses music to help patients heal and enhance their quality of life. It’s a complementary form of therapy for mental illness that’s used alongside our other mental health programs in Boca. Music therapy helps patients cope mentally, emotionally, and physically with their mental disorder as well as with any challenges they may experience during treatment. Music therapy may involve listening to music, playing instruments, singing, discussing music, and guided imagery. Like art therapy, the purpose of music therapy is to help patients understand their emotions and identify any unresolved emotional struggles.

Art and Music Therapy for Mental Illness

Programs like our residential mental health program include art and music therapy to treat the underlying issues of mental illness. We know that emotion plays a huge role in mental disorders, so it’s important to offer the appropriate form of treatment. At Banyan Mental Health, we offer art and music therapy programs that offer a fun and relaxing way for patients to progress in recovery. These programs have proven time and time again how effective they are in helping individuals with mental illness heal. There are various art and music therapy benefits, but the most prominent is the opportunity for patients to heal at their own pace. Even when art and music therapy techniques are performed in group settings, these tasks aren’t being graded and there’s no rush for patients to reach any kind of “finish line.” These are simply ancillary programs that help patients heal instead of dragging them through treatment.

Coping with symptoms of mental illness can take a toll. Many individuals who do not seek mental health treatment turn to riskier and more dangerous coping methods like self-harm, substance abuse, and even suicide. When a person suffers from both an addiction and mental illness, it’s referred to as a co-occurring disorder. Symptoms of co-occurring disorders can be even more challenging to manage, especially without treatment.

If you suspect that you or someone you know suffers from mental illness, do not wait to get help. We assess patients for primary diagnosis of a mental health disorder to create a plan that works for them. Our art and music therapists make up a small part of a large, successful team that's dedicated to helping patients heal. To learn how to get started with your recovery, contact us now.