Take our Do I Need Therapy?

Find a therapist near me

Music has unique capacities to access profound physical and emotional depths in service of patient recovery.

Dr. Wilson augments her music therapy by drawing on positive psychology concepts, especially the role of hope.

Her research explores the link between music and psychology to improve rehabilitation with music therapy.

Kansas City holds a special place in my heart. Four summers ago, my wife and I embarked on a road trip from New England to travel scenic byways and, ultimately, to explore the national parks of Montana and Wyoming.

On our return journey, Kansas City served as the sole urban destination of our itinerary. Among its many attributes, the city boasts a lively jazz scene—a legacy local lore attributes to Kansas City’s reputedly lax enforcement of Prohibition-era liquor laws.

About a year later, we met our future daughter-in-law and learned that her mother grew up in Kansas City. As a result, when my wife and I planned another road trip last autumn—this time through the Midwest—we eagerly included the City of Fountains1 on our route once again.

It was during the second visit to KC that I met Rebecca Lepping, Ph.D., whose work I featured in a prior post.2 When we met, Dr. Lepping introduced me to her friend and colleague, Amy Wilson, a board-certified music therapist who has since earned her Ph.D.

Wilson’s doctoral thesis investigated the use of music therapy to improve respiratory function in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The primary objectives of her singing intervention were to enhance phrase length (the number of syllables a participant could sing........

© Psychology Today