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Key points
- Music therapy taps into the power of music to help people improve their lives.
- Music therapists are uniquely qualified and can use music to assist others with stress management, exploring life priorities, and more.
- People are increasingly turning to music therapy for support in their daily lives.
Many have an intuitive sense of the power of music. It’s not unusual to see music used during fitness workouts, yoga classes, and running sessions. But not so many are aware that music therapy can tap into that power of music and amplify it tenfold, using it to dramatically improve life for those from many different walks of life.
Music therapy is practiced by individuals who are educated and trained in music, music-making, and therapy. They are musicians and therapists. They have a skillset that leaves them uniquely qualified to assist others in transforming their lives through music. We all can use music in our lives to relax or to change our mood. But with the support of a music therapist, this can be taken to a more profound level. A music therapist can do this not only through music listening, but through a broad scope of music-making experiences—from singing and drumming to improvisation, songwriting, and recording.
Music therapists work to improve quality of life by achieving therapeutic goals that are meaningful to each individual. That can look different for different folks—for those with Alzheimer’s, for special needs children, for hospitalized children and adults, to name just a few.
Music therapy is certainly not restricted to special facilities. People are increasingly turning to music therapy for support in their daily lives. And in times of pandemic, lives can certainly be challenging. If you are finding these times wearing you down (and who wouldn’t?), a music therapist could help you with stress management, exploring life priorities, and any other particular goal meaningful to you. A music therapist is there to show you how to successfully use music in pursuit of your own health and happiness. No music skills are needed on your part. Just an interest in learning more about how you can tap into the powers of music in your own life. Music therapists have the skills and training to take it from there.
A closer look at music therapy in action can be seen in the Beyond #MeToo project and film.
Finding a Music Therapist
Securing the services of a credentialled music therapist would ensure the highest quality of music therapy experiences. In the United States, that would be a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC); in Canada, that would be an accredited music therapist (MTA) and/or MT-BC.
It’s important to keep in mind that choosing a music therapist (like choosing any therapist) involves finding the right personal match. Doing some preliminary exploratory work can be a good investment of time. A good place to start your research could include the following sites:
- In the U.S.: Certification Board for Music Therapists and the American Music Therapy Association
- In Canada: Canadian Association of Music Therapists
To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
