Recovery approaches in music-based interventions and music therapy

Music therapy is a specialised healthcare profession that employs music-based interventions delivered by qualified practitioners. Based on Silverman’s definition of recovery as a “process of change where people improve their health and well-being, live a self-directed, purposeful, and meaningful life, and strive to reach their full potential” (p. 97), we examine the recovery approach in music therapy. Music therapy can support recovery by enhancing emotional expression, empowerment, and social connectedness in non-clinical and clinical settings including addiction, mental health, and oncology. First, we introduce a neurobiological relaxation model that explains music’s stress-reducing effects through both bottom-up and top-down neural processes by engaging systems related to arousal, reward, and neuroplasticity. Following this, we provide clinical examples including group songwriting and the Professional Excellence in Meaningful Music in Healthcare project to illustrate how tailored music therapy interventions can promote resilience and foster transformative recovery-oriented experiences among service users. Integrating insights from systematic reviews and interdisciplinary research, we highlight the accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and holistic benefits of music therapy and call for further investigations to optimise intervention strategies and expand access to innovative music-based therapeutic approaches for health promotion and recovery.