Communicative Musicality and Its Relevance to Psychotherapy and Counselling
Date
Authors
Green, Oliver
Collens, Paula
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
Abstract
Adult psychotherapy and counselling are often described as “talking therapies”, yet much of what is communicated occurs non-verbally. Reviewing literature from the domains of music, neuroscience, infant studies, psychotherapy, and counselling, this paper explores the implicit musicality that is embedded within and constitutes human communication, and how this informs the therapeutic encounter. The paper draws on the concept of communicative musicality (CM) as a framework for understanding verbal communication in therapy, as this has been under-explored. Two interrelated elements are discussed: the musicality of speech and the rhythms of relational exchange (entitled “rhythm in relating”). These two dimensions of communication may offer a medium for connection, attunement, and co-regulation, in addition to providing insight into the client’s relational and developmental history. Psychotherapy and counselling are presented as fundamentally musical, embodied, and temporal, where meaning is co-created not only through words, but through the musicality of communication. This paper explores elements of music, vocal timbre, dynamics and melodic contours, dissonance and consonance, along with the embodied rhythms of sharing time, repetition, and improvisation, and rhythm in relating that express and constitute affective and interpersonal life. The study highlights how a sensitivity to the musical dimensions of therapeutic dialogue can deepen attunement to the client’s inner world, support relational repair, and enhance therapeutic presence. It proposes that psychotherapy and counselling education would benefit from including a CM-informed approach, enabling practitioners to listen not only to the lexical channel, but also to the musicality and rhythm of communication.Description
Keywords
communication, musicality, non-verbal, rhythm, vocal timbre, voice, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 5203 Clinical and Health Psychology, 5205 Social and Personality Psychology, 3202 Clinical Sciences, 52 Psychology, Rehabilitation, 520303 Counselling psychology, 440902 Counselling, wellbeing and community services, 3202 Clinical sciences, 5203 Clinical and health psychology, 5205 Social and personality psychology
Source
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, ISSN: 2201-7089 (Print); 2201-7089 (Online), Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, 13(2). doi: 10.59158/001c.141724
Rights statement
Open access. CC-BY-4.0