As a musician, I was always worried that therapy might dampen the spark that fuels my creativity. Or worse, extinguish it altogether. I thought I needed the rawness, intensity, and depth of my feelings to do what I do. But after having several sessions, I (happily) admit I was wrong.
Therapy doesn’t numb my creative side or stifle my voice. Instead, it helps me manage my emotions, build resilience, and keep creating great music. Only now, it’s a lot more from a place of clarity, not chaos.
Changing Communication
One of the biggest shifts I noticed after starting therapy was how much clearer and more honest I became.
In the beginning, I didn’t always have the right words when I was trying to talk about how I was feeling. But sitting with someone who really listens pushed me to try harder to find them. I learned how to dig deep into the roots of my suffering, express my thoughts, and explain the emotions I used to keep bottled up or pushed aside.
My creative work has become more honest as a result. I find myself working with less hesitation and more connection to what I want to say in my songs. Therapy helps me say what I mean, and that carries over to my lyric-writing work.
Self-Tuning
Before therapy, I was rushing from one task to the next without pausing to check in with myself. I didn’t always understand why I felt off or disconnected.
After a while and some digging into my sense of self, I began to recognize patterns in my thoughts and reactions. I could trace difficult feelings back to their source and respond to them more effectively. This awareness helps me feel more in control of my choices, and I’m not just being pulled along by stress and routine anymore. I can actually hear myself think.
That shift has changed how I work when I’m writing a song. I no longer feel the need to produce melodies and lyrics merely to keep pace or to validate myself or others. I’m able to slow down and focus on what I’m doing, note by note, and my ideas have more weight because they’re coming from a clearer place.
Skyrocketing Self-Confidence
I used to second, third, and fourth-guess everything I did because I felt like I wasn’t good enough, no matter how hard I worked or what I achieved.
In therapy, I started to understand where these feelings came from and realized they weren’t the truth. I learned how to separate my self-worth from my tendencies towards perfectionism and stopped measuring my value by how productive or impressive I was to other people.
I’ve started backing myself more since then. I tell more personal stories with my lyrics, take more risks musically, and let myself be seen on stage for who I really am. This shift has helped me feel better, and it’s given me the confidence to go after what I want without apology at work. I don’t shy away from challenges or hide behind safe choices in this, or any other, space anymore.
Experiencing True Well-Being
Therapy has helped me improve my overall well-being by giving me space to explore my emotions and understand what’s really going on inside. I’ve learned practical ways to cope, like recognizing triggers early, knowing when to disconnect, using breathing techniques to calm myself, and setting boundaries to protect my energy. I’ve also developed healthier habits for managing stress, such as journaling, which has opened up an entirely new creative channel for me.
The tools I’ve learned haven’t removed difficulties from my life entirely, but they’ve helped me handle them without losing control. Over time, I’ve become more balanced and resilient, which has significantly improved my ability to work on the music I love.
Embracing Clarity
I’m now so much more aware of what I’m feeling underneath it all, and this has made a big difference to my compositions.
When deadlines, ideas, and daily stresses piled up, it was easy to lose touch with what was really going on inside. Therapy gives me the insights I need to explore my emotions properly, translate them into usable tracks, and identify problematic patterns, such as when anxiety blocks my creativity or frustration clouds my thinking.
By understanding these moments more deeply, I’ve been able to move through them, creating sounds instead of just burying them. This clarity has made me more present in my music and life, allowing ideas and inspiration that would have previously been lost in my head.
Undergoing A Transformative Mental Shift
Having the tools to understand what is going on in my head has made an enormous difference to my mindset and mental health. During my therapy sessions, I learned that I don’t have to push through everything alone. I began asking for help when I needed it and letting go of the idea that I had to do it all at once. This shift taught me to pace myself, avoid spreading myself too thin, and protect my focus from burnout.
I no longer rush to fix a lyric at once or abandon an idea because it feels too difficult to express. There’s more space to think clearly and create with purpose, and I finish more of the songs I start.
This improved focus has opened new possibilities like studying music, which was once out of reach. I used to create under constant pressure, with no capacity to take on anything else. But therapy helped me see that emotional turmoil doesn’t have to be my creative fuel. In fact, clarity and calm allow me to explore an idea more thoroughly and stay with it longer.
A Creative Surge, Not a Stoppage
I see many artists and performers crediting therapy for changing how they live and create, including Ed Sheeran, Elton John, and Selena Gomez. I’m adding myself to the list. Therapy has shown me that real strength is asking for help and choosing to grow. It doesn’t thwart my creativity; it channels it positively.
I now create my sound from a clearer, calmer place. And when I’m stuck in emotional overload or at a creative block, therapy is the choice I keep making for freedom and growth in the world of music.