Use of the Iso Principle as a Central Method in Mood Management: A Music Psychotherapy Clinical Case Study

Abstract

The iso principle originated in 1948, as a concept and method of intervention in the context of mood management (Altshulter, 1948). Since then, the use of the iso principle has expanded to a variety of areas within music therapy (Smeijesters, 1995; Crowe, 2004; Michel & Pinson, 2005; Wigram, Pedersen, & Bonde, 2002). This article traces the use of the iso principle as a means for mood management from its origins through contemporary clinical uses. It then poses a method of mood management utilizing the iso principle as a central concept and reviews its implementation and efficacy through the presentation of a case study with a female client battling a compulsive overeating disorder, depression, and anxiety. Considerations and implications of the use of the iso principle are also identified and discussed.

iso principle, music listening, mood management, music psychotherapy