Music therapy for therapeutic development in personality disorders: A qualitative case study

Abstract

People with personality disorders (PDs) are often difficult to reach emotionally in therapy. As music therapy (MT) provides an entry point to emotions and facilitates contact and communication, it is regularly used with this target group. This study presents a case study of a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with a PD not otherwise defined. “Nina” experienced depressive and physical symptoms, including severe anxiety. Previous treatments had failed. In MT, she experienced a sense of safety. Over the course of the treatment, she experimented with making herself heard, learned to listen to herself and recognize her own physical signals, permitted closeness and cooperation, and began setting boundaries and taking initiative. She got in touch with and learned to regulate emotions such as sadness and fear. Self-criticism gave way to a more compassionate self. Nina began to experience positive feelings and showed progress in her work and social interactions. The findings suggest that MT can directly connect to clients' emotions, behaviors, and thoughts in a way they perceive as safe. This is of the utmost importance for clients who are hard to reach. The use of MT can potentially prevent dropout and further entrapment in personality problems.