The song of self: music as an instrument of intervention in trauma clinic

Abstract

Following the hypothesis that the shock caused by a violent event may exile the subject from the invoking drive circuit, we discuss the contribution that a songwriting workshop has to offer to transform this traumatic impact into narrative. As we realize that the suddenness of this unexpected event produces a typical phenomenon - the muting of the subject -, we found that our intervention device may allow subjects affected by violent and uprooting experiences to share and reintegrate the parts they exiled during the traumatic event. We conclude that the role of passer-by/spectator played by participants, by the people who circulate in the institution, or still by the mediator himself, makes the pulsating voice of those who sing authentic, transforming them into true producers of pleasure.

Key words:
Psychoanalysis; trauma; music; song