Lyrics & Healing: Exploring Emotions through Taylor Swift’s Music
Plato once said “music is the medicine to the soul”. Music is a powerful way for us to connect to our experiences, and viscerally feel the emotions we experience. For many people, Taylor Swift’s discography opens a gateway into deeper understanding of the human experience. As a relational therapist, I have seen the power of Taylor’s music first hand, working with clients who use a song to process a breakup, or relish in the moments of a budding relationship. As a Swiftie, I have personally felt the power of Taylor’s music, with countless instances where I will be immediately transported into a deep reflective state. Suddenly, I am fifteen again, full of hope and daydreams about my future in high school. Or, I’m back in the depths of grief, processing the loss of my best friend. While some people may not connect to her music, for me, she has managed to capture so many pivotal moments of love, loss, hope, and grief, all through her lyrical storytelling. This blog will explore how we can use music as a tool to connect with our experiences and highlight the therapeutic value of using Taylor’s music as a reflective tool to gain insight into our relationships.
Gift of Storytelling
There is power in being able to connect to our experience through storytelling. Narrative therapy is a therapeutic modality centered around the belief that we all tell ourselves stories about our lives (Rice, 2015). When we are able to take charge of the stories we tell ourselves, we can reauthor our stories and shift how we think about ourselves (Madigan, 2011). I would argue that Taylor’s music has the ability to give a voice to experiences that leave us bewildered. Her self-reflective lyrics and relatable themes of heartbreak, love, loss, and joy help many people connect with their emotional experiences of the twists and turns of life.
Some of Taylor’s music reads more like a diary entry, searching for meaning through the painful experiences she has gone through. Therapy can be a place to write your own “diary entries”, except you have someone walking alongside of you, to help you thread together common themes and pitfalls you may find yourself struggling with.
Try this exercise when you are feeling inspired to examine your own story:
Go to your music library (or Taylor Swift playlist) and hit shuffle. Close your eyes and allow your body to begin to feel the music. What do you notice? Begin to scan your body for any sensations starting from the tips of your toes, up your legs, to your torso, through your arms and upper body, shoulders, all the way to the top of your head. Sit with the sensations as you continue to listen to the song. Allow your body to move to the rhythm of the music however it wants to. Now place a hand on your heart, and see if you can begin to identify an emotion or memory that this song reminds you of. How old are you? How do you feel? When you feel ready, take a moment to reflect internally or jot down what is coming to mind.
Therapeutic value of music
Many people will list music as one of the most therapeutic aspects of their life. But what does listening to music really do for us? Well, among other things music has the ability to influence the brain by increasing the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that increases feelings of happiness, and decreases cortisol levels, which help reduce stress (Gustavson et al, 2021).
Music activates areas of the brain that are involved with memory, mood regulation, and motor control (Golden et al, 2021). Studies have found that music can reduce our overall stress levels, and promote steady mood-regulation (Golden et al, 2021). While everyone has a different experience while listening to music, for many Swifties I have spoken with, Taylor’s music provides a sense of connection when they feel isolated, hope when they feel hopeless, and joy when they need it most.
Swiftie Therapy
You may be wondering how a self-proclaimed Swiftie therapist actually utilizes Taylor’s music in the therapy room. Do we just talk about her songs and dissect “easter eggs” about her next album? Sometimes! But we also can use Taylor’s music as a gateway to explore experiences that feel too painful to talk about. We can use her music to promote mind-body connection, and really “feel” the emotion in our bodies. Sometimes we use an album or a song as inspiration for a journal exploration exercise. But above all, I have found that Taylor’s music can be such a powerful connector with the clients I work with. When a client learns that I know just about every lyric Taylor has ever written, or discovers I have a podcast dedicated to all things Taylor Swift and therapy, there is a shift that happens in work we are doing.
As a relational therapist, I believe one of the most important factors of creating an effective therapeutic environment is the relationship between the therapist and the client. In fact, research has shown that the therapeutic relationship is one of the most powerful predictors of “effective” therapy (Stubbe, 2015). So if a client relates to Taylor’s music, and that leads to us connecting on a deeper level? Well, that’s just the magic of Taylor Swift’s work. With Taylor’s music, the possibilities are endless.
Love in Lyrics Podcast: Exploring Taylor Swift’s discography
If you are a Swiftie who enjoys learning more about using music as a tool to understand your experiences, you may be interested in listening to my podcast, “Love in Lyrics”, where two marriage and family therapists dive deeper into Taylor’s discography and discuss common relationship themes and challenges we work with in couples therapy. My colleague Lauren Skuba and I love to use Taylor’s music as a gateway to explore the concepts we bring in to our work as relationship therapists. Check out our first few episodes using the link below!
Love in Lyrics Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-in-lyrics-exploring-relationships-through-taylor/id1752771327
References
Gustavson, D.E., et al. Mental health and music engagement: review, framework, and guidelines for future studies. Transl Psychiatry 11, 370 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01483-8
Golden, T. L., et al. (2021). The use of music in the treatment and management of serious mental illness: A global scoping review of the literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649840
Madigan, S. (2011). Narrative therapy. American Psychological Association.
Rice, Robert H. (2015). “Narrative Therapy.” The Sage Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology 2, 695-700.
Stubbe DE. The Therapeutic Alliance: The Fundamental Element of Psychotherapy. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2018 Oct;16(4):402-403. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.20180022. Epub 2018 Oct 18. PMID: 31975934; PMCID: PMC6493237.
If you’re considering working with a therapist in Denver, Rocky Mountain Relational Therapy serves Denver and surrounding communities including Five Points, Country Club, Congress Park, Highland, Cherry Creek, Washington Park West, Washington Park, Sloan Lake, Athmar Park, Barnum. The first step is to schedule a free initial consultation; that way you can get a feel for us and decide whether we’re best placed to help you. Simply visit our booking page to schedule your consultation.