Even in the face of trauma, every person has a healthy and creative core which music has the power to unlock. Music provides a non-verbal outlet for strong emotions associated with traumatic experiences. When a child makes music, she is saying something about how she views herself. This is why music therapy can play a significantly healing role. The music therapist listens to the musical sounds made by the child and reflects them back so each session creates and builds on an interpersonal relationship.
Young people attending the MusicWorks Music Therapy programme individually or in small groups, experience a safe and caring space. This is the first building block to help a young person change his or her perception that life is about survival. In this short film, music therapists Sunelle Fouché and Karyn Stuart explain how music enables communication and emotional expression for children facing adversity.