Speaking and Healing through Music:  A Proposal to Bridge the Gap Between American English Use and Psychological Expression

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/12579t67j

Abstract

Over the last half-century, a notable body of examinations has suggested that the American English language is often inadequate at facilitating authentic self-expression in a manner that benefits an individual’s psychological health. Drawing from evidence provided by previous research on sociolinguistic identity, psychological expression, and the psychosocial impacts of American individualism, this thesis suggests that the extent to which individuals can productively express themselves in psychotherapeutic situations depends on both the role American English plays in constructing an individual’s self-concept and the philosophies held by US society regarding interpersonal relationships. To attempt to curb the disconnect between everyday language use and the use of language-based therapy intended to create psychological stability, this thesis further proposes the application of an entity that is in many ways similar, but also distinct from the language that we use to speak and write: music.

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