In addition to mental health, our Clinical Director is passionate about the arts. Listen to this 1-minute video she put together for her choir, Vox Femina Los Angeles, about how singing affects your brain, decreases dissociation, and helps you process trauma. 

Transcript:

Let's talk about singing and your brain! I'm a licensed therapist and I work a lot with trauma. Although I don't necessarily use it in session, I have talked with clients about using singing and using movement - which you have to do when you're singing - as a way to deal with dissociation, triggers, and other things that come up when you're a survivor of trauma.

Singing Hacks Your Brain to Prevent Dissociation

The reason it works is because it requires you to use multiple parts of your brain at the same time, including your language center, including the centers that control your body, [and] your breathing. Using multiple areas of your brain at the same time is what decreases dissociation and allows you to be more present in the moment.

Singing As A Social Catalyst for Trauma Processing

It's even better for your brain and even better for processing trauma if you're singing in a group... Those of us who sing in a group are working on our trauma - and we all have trauma, every single person on earth has trauma - without even [consciously having to process the trauma.] 

If you're watching this and you're looking for a low-intensity way to process some trauma, I encourage you to sing with a group. Even if you're not ready to directly process your trauma, it's good for you, it's good for helping your brain activate different centers so it can unconsciously process things, and overall great for your wellbeing.