3 Ways Music Therapy is Helpful for Highly Sensitive People
3 Ways Music Therapy is Helpful for Highly Sensitive People
Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) can be a tricky thing in this chaotic world.
Yes, you have a deep capacity for empathy and emotional attunement. You experience a profound connection to nature, art, music, and those you care for.
But, you also often feel overwhelmed. You get judged for your emotions and have probably been told “you’re too sensitive” or “just toughen up” since you were small. Sometimes, people “gaslight” you and cause you to question the validity and sources of your own feelings.
You’ve probably internalized some of this criticism and turned it into harsh internal self-talk. In the midst of all this, you may find you struggle in your relationships. It’s hard to hold boundaries or state a need without feeling like you’re “too much.”
Music therapy can help you develop the skills and insights to navigate life as a highly sensitive person. It gives you a chance to connect to your body and understand your feelings in a safe and gentle way. Since a lot of HSPs have a deep relationship to music, music therapy can feel like a natural, nurturing way to work with your emotions.
How Music Therapy Can Help HSPs Cope with Anxiety And Stress
1. “I criticize myself because I can’t control my emotions”
Whether it’s exploding in anger or spinning in anxiety, you don’t feel like you have control over your emotions. And you hate feeling this way. It makes you feel crazy. The truth is, you’re not crazy or broken.
You’ve tried things like positive self-talk, crying it out, and talking about it, but nothing really seems to help.
Music therapy can help you make space for the feelings that overwhelm you, so you can understand them more deeply without getting swept away. In a session, we might find our way into an exploration of anger by improvising on instruments.
Exploring with music can be cathartic, but it also offers a lot of nuance for expression. You’re already good at this. As an HSP, your ability to notice things is finely tuned, and so you might begin to notice things about your anger when you have the perspective that musical improvisation can offer.
2. “I get overwhelmed all the time & don’t know what to do”
Highly sensitive people can get easily overwhelmed. You tend to get stuck in overdrive (hyperarousal) or shut down and frozen (hypoarousal). This can be deeply uncomfortable and hard for you as an HSP.
Thinking and talking about how you’re overwhelmed probably isn’t going to help, and this is where the unique approaches inherent to music therapy can offer unique opportunities for healing and growth
In a session, we can explore simple ways to regulate your nervous system through humming, toning, simple body-based exercises, using grounding music, and more. Since music is inherently regulating - it connects us to rhythm, it has space for breath, it is a predictable container - you can learn to access the calming, expansive qualities that you need when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
3. “I have trouble figuring out/holding boundaries that I need as an HSP & that impacts my relationships”
As a highly sensitive person, you need time to process and to regulate. This might mean more time alone during the day, or taking a break during an upsetting conversation. It’s hard for you to express these boundaries, so you usually just power through until you get overwhelmed.
For you, healing would mean you know what you need and feel able to express it clearly to those in your life.
In a music therapy session, we can really lean into the powerful symbolic language that music provides. We might explore what boundaries sound like or look like. We might examine your previous memories or other feelings you associate with boundaries. . We can use improvisation or some recorded music to hold space for the grounded confidence that you can experience when you know and hold a boundary in your life.
Looking for HSP therapy in New York? Let’s see if we’re a fit
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and out of control as an HSP, know that you’re not alone. Being an HSP in a chaotic world is a multi-layered experience and it can be tricky to get unstuck from repetitive patterns.
I’d love to help you understand your feelings more deeply, learn how to express your emotions without getting overwhelmed, and be able to calm your nervous system in simple, gentle, effective ways. Music therapy can help you connect with your body and your feelings while honoring your creativity and your lived experience.
If you’re interested in working together, you can learn more about me here and schedule your free phone consultation here.
Not sure if you’re an HSP? Here’s a great online self-test to try.
About the Author
Maya is a music therapist and psychotherapist in NYC and online throughout New York State. As an HSP herself, she has learned how to navigate this chaotic world while honoring her sensitivity and her needs.
She deeply enjoys working with highly sensitive people in her practice, helping them learn to calm their nervous systems, express boundaries with less guilt, and express all of their feelings confidently. As an experienced music therapist she guides HSPs into a creative and embodied therapy experience - working not just with thoughts but also with body, breath and creativity as valuable tools for growth.
If you’re interested in working with Maya, you can learn more here or schedule your free phone consultation here.
You don’t have to stay stuck - it’s time to reclaim your rhythm.