Music Therapy: Helps Soothe PTSD Symptoms
With the sound of a strumming guitar ringing in the background and the scratching of pen to pad, Veteran Todd Foster of Smyrna, Tenn., writes the soundtrack to his rehabilitation from the traumas of war.
Foster and other Veterans, with help from Tina Haynes, music therapist at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in Murfreesboro, and Bob Regan, a Nashville musician and Grammy Award-winning songwriter, are using the craft of songwriting as therapy for Veterans to overcome posttraumatic stress disorder.
Foster began the songwriting therapy group in November 2012 and quickly noticed its benefits. "This is one of the best therapies in the VA," says Foster. "It is such stress relief, and it really keeps you motivated. It keeps you thinking, and not of bad stuff; it really gives you a brighter perspective on how to deal with life."
Most Veterans in the group have little-to-no experience with music. Haynes says that should not stop Veterans from participating, because the staff provides all equipment and instruction.
According to Haynes, the group offers safety, support and stimulation for Veterans to tell their stories and express their thoughts and feelings though songwriting. She says the goal of the program is to provide an environment for emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial support. This, Haynes says, will help develop insights into their struggles as well as problem-solving skills and social interaction.
"It’s important to put meaning and connect to what we have seen," says Haynes. "While therapy is a good idea for Veterans, music therapy adds an extra dimension that is not accessed through standard ‘talk’ therapy."
Haynes says this extra dimension provides a safe structure for Veterans to access traumatic memories and look at them objectively.
Foster agrees, but says the group offers other elements to his therapy as well. He says the program is not only fun to be part of, but there is a camaraderie that is built with other Veterans in the group.
The idea of creating something with other Veterans keeps him coming back. The program is so valuable to him, Foster says that he takes vacation time from work just to attend the weekly meeting.
"We come away with a song almost every week," says Foster. "We start talking and then we brainstorm and start jotting ideas down. Bob starts picking his guitar and then we just start piecing it all together. The staff helps us put it into a song format. Then the next thing you know, we have a song."
Inspiration for songs varies from week to week. Foster says the group has rewritten the lyrics to Christmas carols to identify the stresses of the holiday season. Another song they wrote, "Military Intelligence," pokes fun at the term in a high-spirited way.
Foster and Haynes agree that while the group is light-hearted and many of the songs they write reflect the playful atmosphere, the group has a more somber side as well. That, says Haynes, helps them deal with the issues of PTSD and the memories of war.
One such song written by the group, "Still Coming Home," clearly outlines the purpose of the songwriting group. The song highlights how many Veterans still struggle with their time in a combat zone—even years after returning from war. The song’s lyrics include the line "the battles may be over, but they rage on in our hearts."
For more information on the music therapy songwriting group, contact Haynes at tina.haynes@va.gov.
To learn more about how VA Tennessee Valley is serving Veterans, visit www.tennesseevalley.va.gov.
