Empowering Women Survivors of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a pervasive public health problem with high societal costs. Domestic violence shelters provide services to women and their children to support their journey away from violence. Music therapy in shelters can be a vehicle of empowerment for these women. In this clinical portrait, I share my experience as a music therapist in a domestic violence shelter, incorporating an overview of the services and theoretical framework we used, reflecting on the function that music may have in this situation, and illustrating it with the case of one of the women that I was honored to meet.