Attachment Trauma and the use of Music Therapy to support children and young people experiencing it: A narrative literature review

Abstract

The concepts of complex trauma, insecure attachment, and C-PTSD have grown in popularity both in the general public as well as scientific research over the last decade. Music therapy is one of the modalities that is used as a treatment method supporting people experiencing what can be summarised under the term attachment trauma. However, there is an incoherence and a certain unclarity in the definitions and connections between these different concepts. This is reflected in the music therapy literature addressing such concepts. The context section provides clarification of the several terms. This narrative literature review synthetises and analyses music therapy research addressing the experience of attachment trauma in children and young people regarding its focusses and cohesiveness. It aims to contribute to the growing body of literature researching therapeutic interventions for people with a history of complex trauma and to examine the role of music in such interventions. The findings section provides an analysis of different therapeutic concepts, approaches, and techniques. The inherent relation between musicality and early attachment suggests the usefulness of music therapy as a treatment method. The specific use of music therapy in delineation to other creative therapies is outlined and the limitations and implications for the field of music therapy are discussed.