Veterans Find Healing from a Harp

But the chair he was sitting in was no ordinary chair. Plugged into the harp, it vibrated gently as certified music practitioner Stephanie Miller plucked the instrument’s strings at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System’s Community Living Center in O’Hara Township.

Miller, a contracted therapist, recently played for Monahan to demonstrate the benefits of vibroacoustic harp therapy (VAHT).  VA Pittsburgh practitioners watched virtually via a live feed from the recreation hall in building 51.

The exhibition of the new therapy is designed to increase awareness and support as the VAHT project begins to grow.

The therapy is available for five hours a week now and available slots are limited. VA Pittsburgh music therapist Virginia Dougherty hopes with additional funding that the novel technique will be more widely available in the future.

Monahan receives VAHT regularly, which he said helps him relax and sleep better. Miller has played bedside for Veterans at VA Pittsburgh since 2015. With funding from a federal grant, she has been trialing VAHT at Heinz since 2021, said Dougherty.

Patients often describe VAHT as a musical massage, said Miller.

“The vibrations from the harp can be felt through the entire body,” she said.

During VAHT, the harp is plugged into an electronic amplifier, much like an electric guitar. As the harpist plays, the amp transmits signals to a vibrotactile reclining chair. Patients seated in the chair hear the music and feel its calming, soothing vibrations.

For Veterans at VA Pittsburgh, Miller starts at middle C on the harp and works her way down until they tell her they can feel the vibrations.

“Then I can tailor what I am playing to the specific needs of the person in the chair and still maintain social distancing,” Miller said.

Dougherty said the therapy is helpful for relieving pain, PTSD, depression, stress and anxiety.

Interested Veterans can ask their primary care provider for a referral.