Ever notice how music can affect your mood? There’s a growing trend of people who are using this to their advantage. Sound therapy—sometimes known as psychoacoustics—is a holistic technique where gentle music, white noise, or other sounds are used to improve mood, relieve stress, stave off depression or anxiety, and even boost mental capacity. Although research is limited, the practice grew in prominence during the pandemic, when many people were struggling with their mental health but had limited access to traditional therapy methods.
Is listening to music a replacement for counseling or psychotherapy? Not at all. But as the American Music Therapy Association explains, vibrations from sound can affect your body in a subtle way similar to how a massage can. Different frequencies can have different outcomes—for example, upbeat music can enhance focus while a slow melody is good for relaxing and de-stressing.
Sound therapy will differ based on a person’s needs and how a practitioner approaches it. A person can lie down in the dark and listen to music or a guided mediation, or they could move with the music by doing yoga or dance. The sounds might be from a recording or played live on instruments.
Music helps people reach a meditative state and can even prompt your body to release the feel-good hormone serotonin. Some people use music to help them achieve sleep or stay focused on tasks. Although sound therapy is still a fringe practice without extensive studies to support its use, the practice is noninvasive and affordable. In other words, there’s no harm in listening to music if it makes you feel good!
The American Music Therapy Association is a great resource for anyone looking to connect with a music therapist or sound therapist—visit musictherapy.org.
