Using the harp for healing

Our world of senses is the world of effects. What works in each being produces an image in others just as plucking a string produces sound. Each being is a harpist on someone else's strings and at the same time a harp for someone else's fingers." -Robert Hamerling, poet, 1830-1889

The harp is an ancient instrument associated with healing, comfort and relief. Because of the unique qualities of the harp for healing, many harpists or musicians use the harp in healing situations and are designated as Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners.

The Harp Practitioner must graduate from the International Harp Therapy Program (IHTP) and adhere to the standards of the IHTP and be compliant with the National Standards Board of Therapeutic Musicians (NSBTM ). As Harp Practitioners, we must participate in on-going Professional Development at National Symposiums with the IHTP. There is also a closely supervised internship of 80 hours which must be successfully completed.

We are accomplished in harp repertoire and improvisation and have practical knowledge of a wide range of study including interpersonal skills and special needs. Therapeutic Harp Practitioners. are committed to fostering trust, insuring confidentiality, respectfulness and sensitivity. The IHTP endorses a balance between music, medicine and spirituality.

What makes the harp unique for healing is the instrument's properties such as the resonance from the strings, including the range of pitch and tonal color. These set up an important relationship between the sound and the recipient. There is now substantial documentation of the responsiveness to and appreciation of music by peoples of all ages and culture.

Harp Therapy must be distinguished from Music Therapy in that it is non-prescriptive and does not follow a bio-medical model. Clients are not assessed and a specific program developed, then implemented, re-assessed and evaluated then revised.

Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners provide a Cradle of Sound (a safe, quiet and soothing place) for their client/listener.

Harp Therapy is not a performance but a service providing what the recipients need for healing or balance at that given moment. The ego must get out of the way and the harpist hold the spiritual realm of every being and recognizes that each individual has their own resonant tone, style of musical preference, and their own rhythm. Combining these elements, we offer the client/ listener their own personal musical journey or "their own cradle of sound" to help them in emotional, mental, physical and spiritual healing.

Prepared by Denise Llewellyn with excerpts from the IHTP website (harprealm.com).

More info: www.harpisle.com