How music & imagery can help you "sit with" tough feelings

Usually when I share about my music and imagery practice, the images are light and bright (like the one above).

That’s because I often focus my music and imagery time on resourcing - connecting to and deepening inner strengths.

Connecting to our inner strengths is SO important

But it’s not the only thing to do in therapy or the only way music and imagery helps.

I often hear clients say some version of?“I know I have to?sit?with this shitty/uncomfortable/difficult feeling, but how…?”

Instead of just talking or thinking about a tough feeling, music and imagery can help you sit with - and ultimately understand it -?in a more creative and complete way.

This is an image of mine from a recent supervision session - the theme was fear.

Once we identified that as the theme, I chose music that connected to fear and created this image as I listened to the music.

By sitting with the fear in this way I was able to notice new and surprising things - how it felt less scary than I thought, how I was very clear about what I wanted to draw, how I actually didn't feel frozen?and so much more.?

I was able to then take these rich insights and incorporate them into my understanding of the situation that was causing me to feel fear.

This was a much different experience?than if I had simply talked about the fear - something I'm comfortable doing, but also something that can easily lead me in circles.

Music and imagery offers such a rich opportunity for learning more about your inner world and those tricky feelings that you probably keep thinking about over and over?- and you don’t need any musical or artistic skill to benefit!

Curious about music & imagery? I'm currently accepting new clients - both for music & imagery work (which can be short-term & adjunctive) OR for creative psychotherapy, which can incorporate music & imagery. Music & imagery is also a great tool for clinical supervision and case consultation.

Feel free to send me a direct message about any of these or schedule a time to chat here: www.calendly.com/maya-benattar

Maya Benattar, MA, MT-BC, LCAT is a music therapist and psychotherapist in private practice in New York City and online. Her clinical specialties include anxiety, childhood/intergenerational trauma, and highly sensitive people (HSP). She also provides clinical supervision and consultation for other therapists.

Maya relishes deep conversations and explorations around perfectionism, inherited sense of otherness, vulnerability, and messiness.

Maya received her master’s from NYU, and has completed postgraduate training in vocal psychotherapy with Dr. Diane Austin, creative arts & trauma treatment at Kint Institute, and music & imagery with Dr. Lisa Summer.

More info at: www.mayabenattar.com