Bridging Western Music Therapy and the Ndëpp Ritual from Senegal

This essay explores links and tensions between Western music therapy and the Senegalese Ndëpp healing ritual, asking how bridges can be built across cultural frameworks. Reflections draw on the author’s fieldwork in Senegal and Europe, supported by an interdisciplinary review of music therapy, psychiatry, sociology, and ethnology literature. Parallels emerge in the use of rhythm, song, and ritual, yet fundamental differences remain: Western music therapy predominantly focuses on the individual, while Ndëpp is rooted in community and spirituality. These contrasts expose the limits of Western categories when applied cross-culturally. The author recommends music therapists to adopt culturally sensitive approaches, engage with local traditions, and critically reflect on their own positionality. Interdisciplinary dialogue can foster more authentic, equitable, and inclusive therapeutic practices.