Using Voice and Song in Therapy

This work is a practical and imaginative guide to the way in which singing and the expressive use of the voice can facilitate therapy. Paul Newham examines how melody creation combined with story-telling in song, can alleviate certain emotional, psychosomatic and psychological symptoms. He describes how the sounds made by the human voice can be shaped compositionally to form songs which reveal and express the self. This volume provides practical support for non-clinical professionals working as group leaders and facilitators, who are interested in incorporating singing and vocal expression in their working method. He covers such themes as: the use of myth and archetype in narrative, the history of the use of song in human interaction, making personal biography into fiction in melody. The author draws on his own professional experience to describe therapeutic techniques and exercises which he has found to be effective, illustrating these with case studies. In particular, he focuses on the benefits of voicework for the mentally and physically disabled, and for children with special educational needs. This is the second of three volumes which are written to provide practical information on the therapeutic use of vocal expression within psychotherapy, arts therapies and group process. The three books should form an exploration of how singing and vocal sound-making can contribute to an artistically orientated psychotherapeutic process, and should be a comprehensive resource for practitioners.