Meet our Resident Music Therapist, Joel.
Joel has over 30 years of experience as a musician, educator, and marriage and family therapist.
Sound Therapy for Eating Disorders
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Using Sound Therapy for Eating Disorders
Curious how sound therapy for eating disorders may be an effective complementary therapeutic modality?
Many people consider sound (or music) as one of the most emotive and unifying art forms. Beyond its mass appeal, studies have also shown that we can also employ music or sound therapy in the treatment of eating disorders and other mental health issues.
‘Ai Pono Hawaii offers sound therapy for eating disorders as one of our alternative and complementary therapeutic approaches. Our eating disorder treatment center in Maui, Hawaii has a skilled team of therapists who are diversely-equipped to provide sound therapy for eating disorders, as well as their related or co-morbid conditions.
Our eating disorder recovery center helps patients of all backgrounds benefit from sound therapy in their journey to recovery from any of various eating disorders.
Are you in need of treatment today? Talk with a professional now.
Exploring Alternatives: Sound Therapy for Eating Disorders
Data from the National Eating Disorders Association [1] show that around 20 million women and 10 million men in America will be struggling with an eating disorder at one point in their lives.
According to the Mayo Clinic, eating disorders can lead to a number of complications, including several that are life-threatening. The longer the disorder lasts, or the more severe it is, the more likely it is for the patient to experience some serious complications, such as (but not limited to) the following:
A variety of serious health issues
Problems with growth and development
Depression
Anxiety
Relationship and other social issues
Problems in work or school
Substance use disorders
Suicidal thoughts or behavior
Death
A paper published in 2020 reported that approximately more than 3.3 million healthy life years are lost globally every year due to eating disorders. Unfortunately, many people who struggle with an eating disorder feel that they’re alone in their struggle. They are often ashamed to talk about (or even reveal) their condition to others. Because of these, many of them are reluctant to seek proper help. The sad reality is that despite the advances of our modern society, there are still some remnants of stigma attached to eating disorders, making it even more difficult for patients to get the help that they sorely need.
Considering the high rate of eating disorders in the United States and all over the world, as well as the number of negative effects it has on one’s life, it’s crucial for anyone who’s suffering from ED to receive professional help as soon as possible. For many of these individuals experiencing shame and isolation however, it can be difficult to find the support and healing they desire through traditional methods such as talk therapy.
For these individuals, alternative modalities like sound therapy can help one move beyond the literal and into the unconscious. Sound therapy for eating disorders can also provide relaxation, reduce stress, and allow individuals in treatment to focus and move through difficult emotions with greater ease.
In sound therapy, auditory and vibratory inputs are utilized to enhance a patient’s psychological and/or physiological state. It includes music therapy, sound healing, vibroacoustic sound therapy, and music. Sound therapy for eating disorders harnesses the power of sound, music, and special instruments played in therapeutic manners, along with deep self-reflection techniques, to enhance patients’ health and wellbeing, as they begin the process of recovery from their ED. Sound therapy relies on therapeutic sound techniques that positively influence people’s psychology, physiology, and neurology.
What Does Sound Therapy For Eating Disorders Entail?
Sound has been used to heal and soothe people for millennia. Ancient societies all over the world have used sound in their healing ceremonies such as: singing; drumming; hand clapping; chanting; and various sounds of nature. Himalayan singing bowls (i.e., standing bells that "sing") have been used all over Asia during meditation and prayer for thousands of years now. A recent brain-imaging study [2] even discovered that these types of sounds can activate the same areas of the brain that are activated by food, sex, and certain kinds of drugs creating a natural and safe “high” for those who experience it.
A wealth of research from the past two decades have revealed that instruments have unique effects on people. A trained sound therapist for eating disorders will prepare a treatment that’s specific to each patient’s symptomatic state and the treatment objectives. For example, a calming treatment is very different from an invigorating one.
Instruments and sounds are combined in certain ways, when needed, to alter people’s brainwave frequencies, allowing them to enter an altered state of consciousness (ASC) that’s comparable to very deep meditation or relaxation. Such a state is conducive for various therapeutic processes to take place in.
It’s important to note that sound therapy for eating disorders also includes reflective techniques to help patients gather insights into their personal recovery process, which will enable them to make transformative changes to improve their health and wellbeing.
Sound therapy is typically categorized as a complementary medicine or therapy and used together with orthodox medicine or conventional therapies. Besides being used for eating disorders, sound therapy is also used in treating people with chronic pain, cancer, fertility problems, stress-related diseases, mild depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), multiple sclerosis (ME), arthritis, and tinnitus, among others.
A common misconception is that sound therapy simply involves making or listening to good sounds or music. The truth is that sound therapy can be an immensely valuable complementary technique used in the treatment of eating disorders as well as other psychological or physiological conditions. Additionally, it is an individualized treatment process that depends on each patient’s particular condition, and there are no specific sounds or music that work for everywhere.
Sound therapy for eating disorders is part of ‘Ai Pono Hawaii’s holistic treatment program. As one of the premier eating disorder treatment centers in the world, ‘Ai Pono has several decades of success in treating a variety of ED: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and other eating and feeding disorders. We’ve also treated patients who dealt with Body Image Distortion, Laxative Abuse, Body Dysmorphia, and Night Eating Syndrome, and other related conditions.
Why Should You Consider Our Sound Therapy For Eating Disorders?
Whether it’s you or someone important to you who needs healing from ED, we would be honored to be part of your healing journey.
At ‘Ai Pono Hawaii, we acknowledge that eating disorders are the result of the complicated interplay of a person’s biochemical, psychological, nutritional, and emotional factors. We are convinced that patients who struggle with ED are sensitive and intuitive at their core, but somewhere along the line, they have developed an unhealthy relationship with food in order to cope with life’s challenges.
We help patients identify and accept the adaptive benefit of their ED, which helps jump-start their healing as they learn life skills that will help put an end to their eating disorder.
We offer three levels of care: residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient care. We also organize individual, family, and group sessions, which depend on each patient’s customized therapy and treatment program.
Here are the top reasons why you should consider receiving sound therapy for your eating disorder from ‘Ai Pono Hawaii rehab center:
1) Outstanding Track Record in Treating Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Disorders
We have been treating a wide variety of eating disorders for 35 years now. Our sound therapy for eating disorders is just one component of our holistic treatment program for ED patients.
Throughout the decades, we’ve been continuously enhancing our skills and knowledge in administering a variety of therapies — including sound therapy — for eating disorders. Because of this, we’re able to provide our patients with the latest effective and evidence-based therapies and treatment programs for their distinctive condition and needs. This is how we’ve come to embrace and maximize effective sound therapy for eating disorders.
Our Director of Eating Disorder Programming is Dr. Anita Johnston, PhD, CEDS - a highly respected specialist in treating eating disorders. She is also the renowned author of Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling.
We are also adept in treating comorbid conditions that frequently go along with ED, such as anxiety, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and trauma. We have a specialized trauma track which exposes those who are struggling with co-occurring trauma or PTSD to a spectrum of trauma-informed therapies including sound therapy, somatic therapy, brainspotting, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
2) Truly Holistic Eating Disorder Treatment
Besides sound therapy for eating disorders, we also offer these alternative therapeutic modalities:
Art therapy
Ecstatic dance
We also embrace our location by integrating Hawaiian culture into our treatment program via ukulele lessons, Hawaiian cultural excursions, lei making, and more.
3) Comprehensive Eating Disorder Treatment For All
We aim to provide eating disorder treatment to as many people as possible. In line with this, we honor most major insurances.
‘Ai Pono Hawaii also provides support for veterans and military families. We are one of the few rehab centers outside of the Veterans Affairs (VA) system that accepts Veterans insurance. Our treatment center is also in-network with Tricare to provide a high level of care for military spouses and children.
4) A Serene Eating Disorder treatment setting
Finally, with our location in tranquil and scenic Maui, ‘Ai Pono Hawaii provides an intimate and relaxing setting for patients to work on their recovery from ED.
Our cozy and safe center helps patients as they nourish, balance, and heal — far away from the loudness and distraction of everyday life. We believe strongly that ‘Ai Pono Hawaii is the ideal treatment center for ED patients to begin transforming their lives as they heal from their eating or feeding disorder.
Our Center’s Treatment Programs
We offer two distinct levels of care to cater to your individual needs.
Residential Treatment in Our Maui Treatment Center
We offer comprehensive eating disorder treatment that deals with the complete needs (medical, therapeutic, and nutritional) of women who struggle with ED. Individual psychotherapy sessions take place three times per week as well as once weekly individual sessions with our residential dietitian.
In this program, patients are admitted to our center and remain with us until they finish the program - typically 45-60 days or longer. To obtain the optimum results from treatment, we encourage family and friends to take part in the patient’s treatment program.
INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT (IOp)
Last but not the least, our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is a specialized treatment program open to ED patients of all genders. This level of care takes place for three hours per day 3-5 days per week. The IOP program is available in-person in our Maui rehab center and online for all residents of Hawaii. Our virtual program also serves individuals of all genders.
*This treatment program is currently offered only virtually for Hawaii residents.
Benefits of Residential Treatment
While more time, expense, and effort from patients is required, the advantages of receiving residential eating disorder treatment include the following:
24/7 care and support – Our staff are available 24/7 to offer individual support to patients. Other patients who are on the same journey to healing can also offer inspiration and moral support as well. The daily presence and involvement of a multidisciplinary team of professionals is truly unique to the residential setting.
Fewer distractions – Living in a peaceful and serene eating disorder treatment center like ‘Ai Pono Hawaii helps patients retreat from the many distractions of the outside world in a healthy and supported way. This allows them to focus their valuable time and energy exclusively on their recovery.
Sustainable recovery – Lastly, because of the advantages mentioned above and more, residential treatment in ‘Ai Pono Hawaii often brings more sustained success for patients, especially those who continue on to move through a PHP and IOP program following completion of their residential stay.Experience The Power of Sound Therapy For Eating Disorders
Experience The Power of Sound Therapy For Eating Disorders Today.
Book a call with us today to discover how ‘Ai Pono Hawaii treatment center can help you through the life changing journey of healing from your eating disorder.
Sources:
[1] https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-are-eating-disorders
[2] https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/sound-therapy