Health and wellbeing column: Music as a reflective tool

As a music therapist I have the privilege to work with the adoption and special guardianship community. At the beginning of each piece of work, I spend time with the social worker and the parents or carers to get to know the strengths and the challenges that the child faces. I also want to get to know the child's ‘life story’, a term used to describe the child's life experience in the adoption and special guardianship community.

Over the years, I have learned that the life story told by adults and a child's lived experience of their life story could vary. When the child is ready, I invite them to create a timeline of their life, using musical instruments or other objects to represent significant moments. This helps me to assess the child's ability to be reflective of their experiences from different perspectives. Sometimes we'll pick out moments from the timeline and improvise on it together. Joint improvisation is an important part of my work. Children impacted by early attachment trauma can require additional support to regulate. They learn how to manage strong emotions by watching adults and sometimes by co-regulating with trusted adults. We can do it through music, like offering a predictable beat or responding to the melody played by the child with attunement.