It's more than just words. Music therapy is a viable psychotherapeutic tool. People who are grieving and can't seem to let go, elderly persons who are experiencing a loss of a home or identity, and people who are depressed and don't know why may all benefit from music therapy.
Music is an interesting thing.
It's a way for people to start listening to their inner person. When people look inward they tend to find a fair bit of sadness, anger, or hurt-definitely not pleasant emotions. This is a good starting point for many people who must then try to link those feelings to the time when they first started, even if it means going back to their childhood. In order to establish trust in the early stages of therapy, music selection is often based more on personal preference than on anything else. In the later stages, music selection changes because more often than not, music reflecting one's personal preference is not inward focusing.