Mary Lee Kortes, LCSW and Grammy winning songwriter, combines her passions and capacities in a unique approach to trauma recovery and personal development: the art and craft of songwriting as a path to healing and growth.

How does it work?

Expressive therapies, such as songwriting, differ from traditional talk therapy in that they allow for indirect expression of emotion through symbol and metaphor. These can free an individual—particularly a trauma survivor—from the fear of becoming overwhelmed by feelings and memories that might still be too difficult to experience if discussed literally and directly.  All we are doing is writing, but whatever we are writing reflects and makes external something going on within us. Whatever that is—joy, pain, sorrow, fear, happiness—then lives within what we have created. It has been externalized and contained in an object—in this case a song—that can hold that expression for us. We can look at it, listen to it, and have some sense of control that we will not be overcome by what lives inside us. Rather, we can take that energy and turn it into something that is ours, that we own, and that nourishes us.    

Why does it work?

The act of creation sparks empowerment, deeper self-understanding and greater self-valuing. No matter what else has happened to an individual, no one can ever undo what they have done by creating something. And their creations affirm that they are here, alive, capable, and have won, simply by surviving:  “I’m still here, not destroyed, and here is the proof. I wrote this. Listen.” The act of songwriting celebrates that survival. It also allows an individual to share that celebration if they so choose, through a recording or live performance.

Who can benefit?

Mary Lee has worked with a range of trauma survivors: children and families who suffered loss during 9/11; youth who lost family to terrorism in Northern Ireland; teens and young adults coping with the effects of war in Iraq; veterans reintegrating themselves into their communities; children battling cancer in New York City hospitals.  The emotional benefits and rewards of songwriting are not limited to those who have experienced trauma; the same mechanism that makes songwriting so effective for trauma survivors can have equally positive impact for individuals with any degree of emotional distress or interest in personal growth.