Trauma treatment in music therapy with veterans and military service members

Abstract

The use of music therapy intervention in the treatment of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder for veterans and military service men and women has received increasing attention in the literature in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to identify primary music therapy techniques utilized in the treatment of trauma and PTSD to best meet the broad and complex needs of veterans and military service members. To continue development of high-quality music therapy treatment standards for services provided this vulnerable population, clinical rationales and theoretical foundations have also been explored. As such, three research questions have been posed for this investigation. These questions were designed with the intention of confirming treatment efficacy and reliability and re-emphasizing the importance of understanding the theoretical underpinnings necessary to inform and validate a trauma-informed music therapy practice. Research questions for this analysis are stated as: (a) What are the primary music therapy techniques utilized in the treatment of trauma and PTSD with veterans and military service members?, (b) Is justification or rationale offered for the use of these identified music therapy interventions?, and (c) Are music, therapy, music therapy and/or trauma theory(ies) identified as informing the rationale(s) for the chosen music therapy interventions used with this treatment population?