Using Music As An Intro to Therapy
Hip Hop Therapy is an avenue which we use hip-hop music as a platform to discuss and educate the youth on the various aspects of mental health and mental health awareness. The topics include anxiety, depression, suicide, etc. Through the use of Hip-Hop lyrics and content, the stage is set to provide valuable material which creates a dialogue with students. This exchange yields a deeper understanding of the importance of mental wellness and how to appropriately address mental issues when they arise.
Our purpose was to create a platform to open up the dialogue with the youth in the community. Our dialogue explores such questions as:
- What does depression feel like?
- What does it look like?
- How does one positively deal with depression?
- Have you ever experienced depression?
- What are the challenges associated with depression and anxiety?
We use the hip-hop industry as a platform to open up discussion with students about mental illness/ wellness issues that are often in media. By using these songs that have coded messages, we provide clarity and understanding to identify mental health issues through songs.
This dialogue has a two-fold impact:
- Participants will have a better understanding how to identify and deal with issues relative to maintaining a healthy mental posture.
- Assist participants with increasing their empathy, identifying and understanding mental health issues in others, and the direct or indirect impacts of untreated mental health issues.
