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Nationally known music therapist Rick Soshensky presents the experiences and perspectives that have informed his work with the people committed to healing and transforming their lives through music. His Music Therapy Studio is not only a physical space for his therapy sessions but also a philosophy and approach for unlocking the far-reaching benefits of music on the spirits and minds of people with disabilities and/or who are experiencing trauma. Soshensky highlights stories and case studies from the studio as examples of how the process can work on different types of people who experience a range of social, mental, and physical challenges. These stirring musical journeys reveal the transformative power of music as well as the resilience of the human spirit to heal and thrive.
This gleefully hopeful exploration of music therapy is grounded in clinical expertise and compassionate outreach. The book is divided into three parts that highlight the theoretical groundwork that serves as the foundation for the music studio, the musical conventions that are a framework for the studio, and the underlying principles that shape the philosophy of the studio. Infused throughout are real-life stories that demonstrate these elements in practice and with results. The music studio takes a definitive shape with this foundation and framework built as a solid and sound structure that provides a safe place and a refuge for music to flourish in the lives of so many people in different ways and forms. This music-centered approach to therapy offers deep insights for practitioners and validation for music lovers who know how music heals and who have felt the release that comes inside the soul when music moves through the body.
Vividly written and wonderfully informative, this book is timely and ably meets the rising demand for resources and solutions in the face of alarming statistics amid the mental health crisis. Soshensky’s vast experience and inspirational stories serve as a model and guide as he draws from a wellspring of spiritual traditions, philosophical tenets, and psychological studies. He also advocates tirelessly for “the importance of maintaining a respectful, admiring attitude toward our clients rather than simply being a caring provider for the less fortunate in the lottery of life.” This compassionate belief grounds the work inside the Music Therapy Studio and emerges in each of the uplifting case studies presented as examples of Soshensky’s work in action.
So many lives can be enriched by reading this book. Therapists can improve their clinical practices. Musicians can understand the impact of their creative work and revel in the healing powers of music. People seeking treatment can have a model with which to measure their own therapy options. Others seeking inspiration and wisdom will find it here and can rest easy knowing that solutions abound in the generous work of therapists and musicians. As these disciplines combine, vibrations arise, energy is shifted, and lives are changed. Soshensky deftly captures how musical therapists provide musical experiences with clients as a guide to improve overall well-being. He is a gifted writer and an experienced therapist with wisdom to impart and music to share.
The 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Award Health Category winner.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review