I used to ask this question myself, especially when I felt resistant to what therapy had to offer. Typically, people still may visualize a therapy session being one where you lie down on a couch and share your woes with a silent listener; Psychoanalysis. Some therapists still practice Psychoanalysis today and some clients find it to be beneficial. Countless therapies have emerged since Freud, “The Father of Psychology”, put his two cents into what therapy should be. Each has the potential to work for anyone; all that is required is a curiosity of yourself and a willingness to engage. The thing is, many people are scared to do this work, and rightfully so.
Our Warrior brain or the Amygdala is our biggest and oldest source of protection. It is found right at the base of the skull where the neck and head meet. These cells work hard to perceive threats, react to them and move on. When we are in a stressful situation, our survival instincts kick in almost immediately. Instincts that we have had since we were prehistoric. Some Amygdala may be inclined to make you fight for your life. Others, “Freeze, don’t move, don’t breathe, don’t do anything”. Sometimes it may tell your body to “Flee, Fly, Run, LEAVE NOW!” or You may just black out, and collapse because your Amygdala, at this point, doesn’t know what to do; aka Fawn. These powerful instincts are the reason humanity still exists. These powerful sensations are difficult to deal with and it makes a lot of sense why people are hesitant to explore them in a therapeutic setting.
The hardest part is telling your Amygdala,
“Hey, you don’t actually need to respond that way anymore. The threat is not a threat anymore.”
But our Amygdala is overprotective and asks:
“Are you sure? I just want to keep you safe and if I don’t hold on to this energy I may not be able to do that.”
We say, “No no, I have faith that you will be able to protect me, but you reacting like this in the grocery store or where ever else I go, is doing more harm than good.”
“Fine,” the Amygdala says, “I hear you. Thank you for having faith in me. I love you.”
This is the point of therapy. To have a safe space to have a conversation with your Amygdala, nervous system, and body and reprogram it so that it serves you rather than controls you. This is not easy work. It means needing to face the reactive Warrior in your brain, make peace with its role, make peace with what it is trying to protect you from, and find strategies to do so.
Within a therapeutic setting, music therapy interventions are created to address the specific needs of the individual(s). This may look like this:
Composition - Creating personalized compositions that provide the person an opportunity to express their experiences.
Lyrical Analysis - Listening to a piece of music and seeing if the client can relate to its meaning and explore how it can relate to their own experiences.
Improvisation - Using instruments to explore sounds and music to create coping tools, or to explore personal experiences.
Movement and Music - Listen to music and explore different movements that the music is inspiring.
Reiki is another way individuals can have a conversation with their Amygdala. Reiki is an energetic healing practice that utilizes light touch and life force energy to revitalize the body, mind, heart, and even soul. When learning Reiki, you develop a self-care regime and process of channeling the Reiki to different areas of the body for either yourself or another. In Reiki, it is understood that different parts of the body can store trauma. This is a known fact now shared with current research on trauma. When the energy is sent to these areas of the body, it is a gentle way of letting the Amygdala release stagnant, stressed energy that no longer serves the person. It can be another powerful way to reset and reboot your system and begin the process of making amends with your inner Warrior.
I wish everyone all the best in their journeys with making peace with their inner Warrior and their experiences. May you all find peace, a safe space to be vulnerable and positive relationships that nurture and support you during these times.