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Murphy, Kathleen, Zhang, Jingwen, Stuart-Röhm, Karyn
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Summer 2025
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2025-08
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Ceterski_Thesis.pdf
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Abstract
Members of the LGBTQ+ community often struggle with a host of individual, societal, and psychosocial factors, such as poor mental health, substance abuse, eating disorders, and discrimination. While a neglected population in the music therapy literature, music therapy remains a promising therapeutic modality to treat the mental health conditions LGBTQ+ individuals often present with. Music also has influences on identity formation, is connected to the LGBTQ+ community, and is an open and nonjudgmental platform for free expression. The following guidelines are based on research and clinical experience of music therapy with members of the LGBTQ+ community. Specific music therapy methods such as song communication, projective movement, songwriting, composition, gender-affirming voicework, and melodic intonation therapy may meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Receptive methods such as song communication and projective movement increase empathy and intimacy between members of the LGBTQ+ community and allow for the reclamation of gender affirmative movements and vocalizations that have previously been repressed. Improvisational methods may offer clients the ability to explore their inner thoughts and feelings as related to identity, reach catharsis, and connect musically with others. Re-creative music therapy can aid clients in sharing and coming to terms with their thoughts, feelings, and aspects of their identities in ways that can be expressed and further experienced and validated by others. Compositional methods such as songwriting provide creative opportunities to build individualized views of identity and to challenge norms of gender and sexuality. In addition, gender-affirming voicework encourages one to take up affirming and authentic space with their body and to experience authentic imagery, and melodic intonation therapy may show promise in combatting gender dysphoria caused by the voice in transgender clients. More research is needed to solidify the efficacy of music therapy with the LGBTQ+ community, but it remains a promising therapeutic modality to address the community’s current needs. Keywords: music therapy, LGBTQ, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender identity,
sexual orientation, guidelines, music therapy methods, receptive methods, improvisational
methods, compositional methods, recreative methods
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