An Adolescent Journey: Filling the Void With Sound

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This case presentation focuses on the way sound becomes a medium of connection between the therapist and her adolescent patient. Initially, attunement to sound helped the therapist establish a way of understanding and communicating with her patient, Ayda. During the course of the four-year treatment, the therapist learned about Ayda's internal world through the songs that Ayda brought to her sessions. Together, they learned how the songs provided words to describe Ayda's feelings, conflicts, fantasies, and needs. Over time, and with the work of the therapy, Ayda became able to make her own interpretations of the meanings of the songs.