Music therapy improvisation in the integration of psychedelic therapy experiences
Zevi B. Koretz, Florence Ierardi
June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.17918/00001537 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Music therapy Improvisation Psychotherapist Visual arts |
| Key points | Proposes that music therapy improvisation can be used in the integration phase of psychedelic therapy to help patients process and apply insights from psychedelic sessions. |
Abstract
Psychedelic therapy is a research-based attempt to combine the use of psychedelic substances with psychotherapy in order to support a client towards therapeutic goals. Literature from the mid-twentieth century as well as more recent scholarship provides strong evidence of psychedelic therapy's ability to safely, rapidly, and effectively treat conditions including depressive disorders and substance use disorders. Music has long been a key feature of psychedelic therapy, with literature largely focusing on clients receptively listening to pre-recorded playlists during the psychedelic session itself. This project is a preliminary inquiry into the potential for music therapy improvisation to be used in the integration phase of psychedelic therapy, drug-free work after psychedelic sessions during which a patient distills and applies insights gained from the session to their daily life in order to achieve personal, therapeutic growth and change. This author reviewed literature on psychedelic therapy, psychedelic therapy and music, psychedelic therapy integration, and music therapy improvisation; creatively synthesized this knowledge through visual and musical artistic exploration; and created a preliminary framework for using music therapy improvisation in the integration of psychedelic therapy experiences.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |