Sound is very powerful. It can bring up memories, thoughts, and feelings. Have you ever heard a song and immediately had an image of what you were doing when you first heard it? Or heard a song from your childhood that brought up some strong feelings (good or bad)? If you have ever been in a car accident, what happens when you hear the screeching of tires? I know I automatically close my eyes and tense up in anticipation.

While sounds can bring up strong and significant reactions, they can also elicit small, less momentous ones. They can set the tone, elicit laughter, or provide a way to transition from one thing to another. And playing with sound can be really fun, especially when building rapport with clients.

Imagine you are sitting in a cold room. You can probably picture how that would feel physically. But how would it sound? What sounds do people make when they’re cold? Chattering teeth. Hands rubbing together. Shivering. The list could go on. What about depression? What does that sound like? Heavy sighs. Crying. Silence.

What sounds could you and your clients play with together? I bet you can come up with several ideas for what to sound. Here’s some to get you started:

•Annoyed Teenager
•Love
•Adoration
•Funny
•Confusion
•Friend
•Road Trip
•Taking a Test
•Wedding

The idea is to be creative and realistic at the same time. Oh, and have some fun too. Sounds like a great combination for building rapport to me!

I’d love to hear how your sound experiments go, and any really creative sounds you come up with.

Krylyn Peters is a counselor and singer/songwriter who uses the power of music and sound for healing. www.krylyn.com