Megan Ann Kovacs: Religious trauma and the role of inspirational music in group settings

Field of study: Music Therapy/Music and Health

This research will explore how music experiences in the church have played a role in the lives of individuals who have religious trauma. Religious trauma is in its infancy of exploration and even more so the role of music in that experienced trauma. Music has the potential to be experienced as positive, however, tension exists when heavily emotional experiences in music are accompanied by conflicting messages.

To reach a broader understanding of the role of music in religious trauma, Kovacs will explore the research question, What is the role of worship music and its related ritualistic activities in the experience of religious trauma?

We need more knowledge of religious trauma survivor’s experiences, the ways in which the church and other inspirational group settings use music, and how music therapists can be made aware of these issues and work more effectively. I will examine the effects that these musical kinds of experiences in the church have on religious trauma survivors. This study will contribute to the growing research of complex trauma, the brain-trauma connection, and the role music can play in treatment and recovery.

Kovacs frames the study using social cognitive theory, and she use mixed methods to gather data. She will use a survey and interviews with religious trauma survivors and music therapists currently working from a trauma-informed approach. The data will be analysed using inductive/deductive hybrid thematic analysis.