Relaxing Melody
Butler Health System is leveraging the power of music.
Kathryn Cotter, who owns a private music therapy practice in Butler, has partnered with the health system to offer her brand to those suffering from chronic illness.
Cotter, who received her bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock University, is a board certified musical therapist. She said the profession has been around since World War II, when it was used to help returning veterans with post traumatic stress disorder.
“It's a world recognized certification and it's practiced all over the place,” Cotter said. “There's a lot of people practicing in this area, and a lot of health institutions that see it as valuable.”Cotter said her therapy groups can vary depending on the need of participants. She said the focus on chronic illness has a specific but comfortable regiment that involves patients learning to use instruments for coping skills or listening to music to work on rhythmic breathing.“We're talking about pain management, we're talking about stress management, we're talking about rest and relaxation, we're talking about muscle control and releasing tension, and we're going to use music to meet those goals.”Cotter said the therapy helps with both physical and emotional pain, and breathing is a big part of the holistic approach. She sees patients who suffer from fibromyalgia, cancers and autoimmune diseases, among many other chronic illnesses.“There's copious amounts of research that show that deep breathing can lower heart rate, can lower blood pressure, can increase lung capacity, all of which affect someone suffering from a chronic illness.”Cotter said it would be different if she were working with someone who suffers from autism. They might work on smaller steps like making eye contact or awareness of social cues.“It all depends on who you're working with and what their goals are and how can music reach those goals,” she said.Cotter said she gets a mix of both men and women who struggle with a variety of pain. She has become more accustomed to seeing people in pain, but the Butler group has surprised her in some ways.“What I think is really unique about this group is that we've had a lot of patients, but we've also had caregivers from spouses who are taking care of their partner to different therapists, social workers and doctors even,” Cotter said. “I think that's really inspiring to see the caretakers show up for that.”Janna Panther, director of marketing for BHS, said Cotter's group is a bit outside-the-box, but added the Palliative Care Unit is constantly looking for new ways to help their patients.“It's nice to test the water and put these things out there,” Panther said.She said the unit has also discussed developing more uses for the music therapy sessions.“We've talked about future use of music therapy for grief support,” she said. “Our palliative team does a lot of other programs as well.”The Palliative Care Unit is hosting at least two other events this summer that should be big draws for many.One is called the Navigate the New Me event, which will be on Oct. 17, and it will help those struggling with chronic pain, according to Jenna Rhodaberger, a social worker in the Palliative Care Unit.“Navigating the New Me event is about holistic communication,” Rhodaberger said.Rhodaberger said this will be the third year for the event, which features yoga, Guatemalan worry dolls and a lineup of speakers.“It's about taking people and teaching them that they are more than the pain that they are seeing,” she said.Rhodaberger said the unit is also adding a new Aging Symposium event on Sept. 21 that will be all about how to cope with getting older.“There are so many options out there,” she said.But Rhodaberger said every time one of their new programs succeeds, the unit becomes stronger, and they can give that power to their patients.“Kate's been incredible,” she said. “It's been a wonderful addition to what we have to offer.”Cotter said she has received praise from patients and caregivers alike, with many feeling more in control than when they walked through the door. She said the program has a bright future.“By having a group like this, we're saying here are the skills I can teach you to manage your pain,” “I now give you someone who's suffering from a chronic illness, some autonomy again, some self control again, something you can do to regulate what's going on in your world, when so much is it is out of control.
