What Is Music Group?

Some people struggle to express emotions in traditional talk therapy. Music Group Addiction Treatment opens a new space to communicate.

Music Group Addiction Treatment teams use listening, instrument playing, and movement to help clients express thoughts and feelings.

EachMusic Group Addiction Treatment session supports physical, emotional, cognitive, and social healing for participants.

Studies show Music Group Addiction Treatment aids trauma recovery, boosts motivation, and provides emotional support.

This approach works for clients of all ages and abilities, regardless of musical experience.

Clients gain more when they actively engage in Music Group Addiction Treatment sessions and participate fully.

Benefits of Music Group

• Reduces stress
• Improves self-esteem/concept of self
• Improves verbal communication
• Improves coping skills
• Provides a collective, social experience

How Music Group Is Used in Addiction Treatment

At Nova, music is regularly used as a therapeutic intervention throughout drug and alcohol rehab. Many clients suffering from addiction are dealing with trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, and stress, and we have found that our music group plays a vital role in helping them address self-defeating thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

In one of our music group exercises, clients listen to music, follow along with the words, and underline the words and phrases that speak to them. The therapist then leads the group in a discussion about those lyrics or words that carried special meaning for them and how that relates to their feelings and memories.

Many activities facilitated in music group involve all different genres of music and are designed to help clients understand how music can evoke feelings and memories. These emotions and memories may be positive or negative, but they all impact our behaviors and substance use habits. Music also allows us to access memories, thoughts, and feelings that we may not otherwise be able to or be willing to access, opening up doors for the sharing and exploring of deeply-buried emotions.

Conversely, music can also cause us to crave particular substances or reminisce about old times using drugs on our own or with friends. For this reason, it’s important that clients take the time to pause, talk about how they feel, and allow time and space to process these issues. Using this technique, will allow individuals to be success in aftercare and sober living.

Evidence-backed statistics showing the benefits of Music Group Addiction Treatment:

Craving & Stress Reduction

• Group music therapy lasting more than one session significantly reduces substance cravings compared to single-session or no music therapy.

• Calming music lowers heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels, leading to better stress management during addiction recovery .

💬 Anxiety & Mood Improvements

• In a study involving 53 women in recovery, 84.6% reported reduced anxiety after a single 45-minute group music session.

• Systematic reviews show music therapy has moderate to large effects on reducing anxiety and improving mood in people with substance use disorders.

🧠 Emotional Regulation & Treatment Engagement

• Music therapy enhances emotional regulation, which is linked to lower relapse rates in alcohol-dependent patients.

• It also boosts treatment motivation, emotional processing, and group cohesion, supporting engagement and retention .

🌱 Social Connection & Recovery Support

• Group music sessions foster community and belonging, reducing isolation commonly seen in addiction.

• Techniques like improvisation and songwriting promote self-esteem and social functioning, particularly among older adults in recovery.