What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is the specialized use of music and musical activities to reach a client’s non-musical goals. As an allied health profession, music therapy aims to improve or maintain functioning in areas including: motor, physiological, social/emotional, sensory, communicative, or cognitive functioning. Individuals or groups access music therapy in school, health care, community centre/program and private practice settings.
Who is a Music Therapist?
Music therapists complete a Bachelor or a Master’s Degree in music therapy and a 1000-hour supervised clinical internship. They are accredited through the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT). They abide by the CAMT’s code of ethics, are a member in good standing and maintain a continuing education process.
Who is Music Therapy beneficial for?
Any individual with …
- Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- mental health needs
- Alzheimer’s disease/dementias
- other age-related conditions
- physical disabilities
- acute and chronic pain
- developmental disabilities
- learning and behavior disorders
- eating disorders
- substance abuse problems
- neurological disorders
- rehabilitation/gait training
What do Music Therapists do?
Assessment of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities, and communication skills through musical and non-musical assessments.
Treatment Planning involving therapeutic music interventions in order to meet clients (non-musical) goals and objectives.
Implementation of specific music interventions in group and individual sessions.
Evaluation of progress, participate in treatment planning/revisions, evaluations, and follow up.