Hi Cassie,

Music has been a very effective medium for me when I am feeling sad or down. When I put my head phones on or crank up the stereo to some up-beat music of my preference I can't help but dance and that also helps release muscle tension, exerts pent up energy and releases endorphins which naturally make me feel good.

Sometimes I will use music to reflect on certain memories that brought me joy. Like I will listen to Elton John or Pink Floyd or the Grateful Dead and imagine myself back in time at one of their concerts and relive the memory to elevate my mood.

I would love to paint, but am so totally unartistic.

Hi Cassie,

Music has always had a powerful influence on my state of mind. It can push me up or down. Depending on my mood I can find myself listening to Queen's We Are the Champions or Who Wants To Live Forever. It can really stir up strong emotions in me. I can see how it could be a powerful therapeutic tool for some.

LongRoad

Sedative music works for me. The artist, Chuck Wild, writes sedative music which stemmed from his own suffering. It is played in hospitals and all types of healing venues. The Liquid Mind collection will transcend you. It has helped me immensely. He is a genius with a very deep soul. I am forever grateful to have found his music. This music actually slows down the heart rate, and in turn, the mind and body allowing more positive energy to take hold.

I write also, which is freeing and cathartic.
A lot of my healing comes from being able to recall and interpret my dreams. Dreams are extremely important too. Good luck in you educaiton.

Hi CassEve,

For me it's been writing. I kept a personal journal for a number of years. I found writing to be very effective both in providing a safe outlet for my feelings and because I could do that, writing it out often provided me with insight into my behavior and an ability to see overarching themes. It also served as a transitional object to remind me of my sense of connection or good feelings about my therapist when I could not "feel" them. I can be pretty left brained, so it's a way to bring both sides together.

I also write (bad ) poetry when I am having a very hard time expressing my feelings, especially when I started hitting the early, pre-verbal stuff. Art to me is where you go, when words can no longer express your feelings.

There was one poem I wrote about the relationship between love and pain that I sent to my T before a session, and we had a really deep talk about it. He made the connection from reading it that I carried a very deep belief that pain is an integral part of love and so he shared with me the understanding (which I very much agree with), that pain is a part of life, and love is the answer to pain. That shift was a very important one in my healing as it helped me see relationships as a source of comfort and strength rather than pain and hurt so that intimacy stopped being quite so frightening.

I have also written a blog about my therapy which has been helpful in a number of ways (if you're interested, the link is in my signature.)

My therapist has read my blog when I have asked, but I don't particularly receive guidance from him, nor have I feel the need of that. But I do bring a lot into sessions with me. So if I was able to gain some insight while journaling, I would usually address that at our next session.

Thank you for being open to hearing from clients, I think that is a highly desirable attribute in a therapist.

AG