Music therapy as a psychological phenomenon: essence, functions and basic approaches
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/pis2025.02.146Keywords:
psyche, music, therapyAbstract
The essential content of music therapy is defined in the problem field of six basic theoretical approaches: cognitive-behavioral, psychoanalytic, social-psychological, Gestalt-psychological, existential, humanistic. Music therapy is interpreted as a psychological construct and at the same time a method of psychotherapeutic influence on a person with the help of music in order to improve his physical, cognitive, emotional and mental state. Among the fundamental features of the analyzed phenomenon, applied content, instrumentality, multidirectionality, psychotherapeutic and social influences are highlighted. The functions of music therapy in psychotherapeutic practice (therapeutic, developmental, health-preserving, social, emotionally-regulatory, corrective, preventive and culturally-enriching) are reconsidered. The features of the use of music therapy for the treatment of mental and physical illnesses, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, developing cognitive and emotional abilities, supporting mental health, ensuring socialization and integration of people with special needs, reducing stress and tension, improving social skills, correcting behavioral disorders and emotional disorders, having a positive impact on a person’s mental health, opening new cultural horizons, enriching the cognitive sphere, emotional experience, and developing the creative abilities of the individual are highlighted. Within the cognitive-behavioral approach, the role of music as a tool for correcting destructive behavioral patterns and developing emotional self-control is emphasized; psychoanalytic – identifying subconscious emotions and hidden internal conflicts in order to realize and resolve mental blocks through creative self-expression and catharsis; socio-psychological – harmonizing interpersonal relationships and developing social skills; Gestalt-psychological approach – restoring the integrity of the personality and its emotional purification through experiences “here and now”; existential – overcoming deep life crises, finding the meaning of life and transforming suffering into creativity; humanistic – ensuring self-expression and self-realization, achieving inner harmony through the musical-creative process. Within the framework of the selected theoretical approaches, the basic functions of music therapy are characterized. The prospects of the study are determined by the theoretical and experimental substantiation of music therapy as an effective psychocorrectional method and an effective tool for psychotherapeutic influence on adolescents with hyperactivity.
References
Batyshcheva, H. (2005). Muzykoterapiia yak metod psykhokorektsii [Music therapy as a method of psychocorrection]. Psykholoh, 14, 25-32 [in Ukrainian].
Horbulich, H. V. (2010). Potreba osobystosti v perezhyvanni muzychnoho katarsysu: zmist i struktura [The need for an individual to experience musical catharsis: content and structure]. Visnyk KhDADM, 1, 195-197 [in Ukrainian].
Hryhor'ieva, V. V. (2019). Muzychna psykholohiia: navch. posib. [Musical psychology: teaching aids.]. Melitopol: Vyd. budynok Melitopolskoi miskoi drukarni [in Ukrainian].
Drahanchuk, V.M. (2003). Muzyka yak faktor psykhokoryhuvannia: istorychnyi, teoretychnyi i praktychnyi aspekty: dys... kand. mystetstvoznavstva [Music as a factor of psychocorrection: historical, theoretical and practical aspects: dis... candidate of art history]. Lutsk [in Ukrainian].
Yevstihnieieva, N.I. (2005). Pidhotovka maibutnikh uchyteliv do vykorystannia muzyky yak zasobu samorehuliatsii funktsionalnykh staniv uchniv: dys. kand. ped. nauk [Preparation of future teachers for the use of music as a means of self-regulation of functional states of students: dis. candidate of pedagogical sciences]. Vinnytsia [in Ukrainian].
Zhorniak, B.Ye. (2013). Metodychni zasady formuvannia tvorchoi aktyvnosti molodshykh shkoliariv zasobamy kolektyvnoi muzychnoi diialnosti: avtoref. dys. … kand. ped. nauk [Methodological principles of forming creative activity of younger schoolchildren by means of collective musical activity: author's abstract of dis. ... candidate of pedagogical sciences]. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
Zolotarova, A. (2011). Muzychno-terapevtychni ihry yak zasib ozdorovlennia molodshykh shkoliariv [Music-therapeutic games as a means of improving the health of younger schoolchildren]. Mystetstvo ta osvita, 4, 28-41 [in Ukrainian].
Ivanenko, O.A. (2014). Metodyka formuvannia zdatnosti do khudozhno-tvorchoi samorealizatsii ditei 4-5 rokiv u protsesi muzychnykh zaniat u shkolakh mystetstv: avtoref. dys... kand. ped. nauk [Methodology for forming the ability to artistic and creative self-realization of children 4-5 years old in the process of musical classes in art schools: author's abstract. dis... candidate of pedagogical sciences]. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
Kaloshyn, V.F. (2010). Muzyka i nashe zdorov'ia: terapevtychnyi efekt muzychnoho mystetstva [Music and our health: the therapeutic effect of musical art]. Mystetstvo v shkoli, 4, 6-11 [in Ukrainian].
Karpenko, Ye. (2015). Metody suchasnoi psykhoterapii: navch. posib. [Methods of modern psychotherapy: teaching aids]. Drohobych: Posvit [in Ukrainian].
Kret, M. V. & Levchuk, N. O. (2021). Muzykoterapiia yak chynnyk vplyvu na psykhoemotsiinyi stan osobystosti [Music therapy as a factor of influence on the psycho-emotional state of the individual]. Nova pedahohichna dumka, 2, 164-168 [in Ukrainian].
Liuban-Plotstsa, B., Poberezhna, H. & Bielov, O. (2022). Muzyka i psykhika [Music and psyche]. Kyiv: ADEF-Ukraina [in Ukrainian].
Malashevska, I. A. (2017). Teoriia i praktyka navchannia muzyky ditei doshkilnoho ta molodshoho shkilnoho viku z vykorystanniam muzykoterapii: dys. … dokt. ped. nauk [Theory and practice of teaching music to children of preschool and primary school age using music therapy: dissertation ... doctor of pedagogical sciences]. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
Naumenko, S.I. (2015). Psykholohiia muzychnoi diialnosti: monohrafiia [Psychology of musical activity: monograph]. Chernivtsi: Rodovid [in Ukrainian].
Poberezhna, H. I. (2010). Muzykoterapiia yak innovatsiina tekhnolohiia osobystisnoho rozvytku [Music therapy as an innovative technology of personal development]. Vyshcha osvita Ukrainy, 3, 87-97 [in Ukrainian].
Pryzvanska, R.A. & Shulzhenko, D.I. (2020). Muzychna terapiia dlia ditei z autyzmom: navch. posib. [Music therapy for children with autism: a teaching aid]. Lviv: Vyd. tsentr LNU imeni Ivana Franka [in Ukrainian].
Pobirchenko. N. A. (Eds.) Psykholohichnyi slovnyk [Psychological dictionary]. Kyiv: Naukovyi svit [in Ukrainian].
Romenets, V.A. (2001). Psykholohiia tvorchosti: navch. posib. [Psychology of creativity: teaching. manual]. Kyiv: Lybid [in Ukrainian].
Savelieva-Kulyk, N.O. (2014). Muzychna terapiia v intehratyvnii medytsyni: navchalnyi posibnyk [Music therapy in integrative medicine: a teaching aid]. Kyiv: Interservis [in Ukrainian].
Subota, M. V. (2011). Psykholohichna sutnist emotsiinoho spryimannia muzyky [Psychological essence of emotional perception of music]. Problemy suchasnoi psykholohii, 11, 859-870 [in Ukrainian].
Fedii, O. A. (2012). Estetoterapiia: navch. posib. [Aesthetic therapy: a teaching aid]. Kyiv: Tsentr uchbovoi literatury [in Ukrainian].
Frankl, V. (2017). Liudyna v poshukakh spravzhnoho sensu [Man in search of true meaning]. Psykholoh u kontstabori. Kharkiv: KSD [in Ukrainian].
Freid, Z. (1998). Vstup do psykhoanalizu: lektsii zi vstupu do psykhoanalizu z novymy vysnovkamy [Introduction to psychoanalysis: lectures on an introduction to psychoanalysis with new conclusions]. Kyiv: Osnovy [in Ukrainian].
Shabutin, S., Khmil, S. & Shabutin, I. (2008). Ztsilennia muzykoiu [Healing with Music]. Ternopil: Pidruchnyky i posibnyky [in Ukrainian].
Shapar, V. B. (2007). Suchasnyi tlumachnyi psykholohichnyi slovnyk [Modern Explanatory Psychological Dictionary]. Xarkiv: Prapor [in Ukrainian].
Shtehemann, T. & Fittstum, Ye. (2020). Praktychnyi posibnyk z muzykoterapii. Ch. 1: Videnskyi kurs lektsii z muzykoterapii - osnovy ta sfery zastosuvannia [Practical Manual of Music Therapy. Part 1: Viennese Lecture Course on Music Therapy - Fundamentals and Areas of Application]. Lviv: BONA [in Ukrainian].
Ansdell, G. (2010). Some Light at the End of the Tunnel I: Exploring Users' Evidence for the Effectiveness of Music Therapy in Adult Mental Health Settings. Music and Medicine, 2, 29-40 [in English].
https://doi.org/10.1177/1943862109352482
Austin Diane, S. (1996). The Role of Improvised Music in Psychodynamic Music Therapy with Adults. Music Therapy, 14 (1), 29-43 [in English].
https://doi.org/10.1093/mt/14.1.29
Butterton, M. (2008). Listening to music in psychotherapy. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing [in English].
Hanser, S.B. (2009). From Ancient to Integrative Medicine: Models for Music Therapy. Music and Medicine, 1, 87-96 [in English].
https://doi.org/10.1177/1943862109345131
Rogers, C. R. (2016). On Becoming a Person. A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy. Boston; New York: Robinson [in English].
Taylor, G. J. (1987). Psychosomatic medicine and contemporary psychoanalysis: Madison: Connecticuti Int Univer Press [in English].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
1. PROPOSED POLICY FOR JOURNALS THAT OFFER OPEN ACCESS
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
2. PROPOSED POLICY FOR JOURNALS THAT OFFER DELAYED OPEN ACCESS
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work [SPECIFY PERIOD OF TIME] after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
