Music therapy
is the systematic use of
music, within a developing relationship between patient and
therapist to restore, maintain, and improve physical, emotional,
psychosocial and neurologic function.
What does music
have to do with therapy?
For many individuals, finding the
motivation to participate in therapy is sometimes difficult.
Combining exercise with a systematic application of music is one
way to address these difficulties and aid in the rehabilitation
process.
Music Therapy is
used to awaken, rehabilitate and heal:
For
people with
Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias
music, especially familiar songs, unlocks memories;
participation in music improves communication, overcomes
withdrawal.
For
people with Parkinson's Disease
and other movement disorders, moving to music helps improve
gait, balance and range of motion.
For
people with Traumatic Injuries,
music-assisted physical therapy improves gross and fine motor
functioning, coordination, and visual and auditory perception.
For
people who have had a Stroke,
musically assisted speech is used to treat non-fluent aphasia,
one of the most common speech disorders following stroke.
For people with
Acute and Chronic Pain,
music therapy provides relief, induces relaxation and eases
anxiety.
For people with
Depression,
music is a powerful modality for connecting to feelings,
expressing thoughts, and overcoming isolation.
How does someone
participate in music therapy?
You don't have to know how to play an
instrument or read music to enter Music Therapy. All you need is
an inclination to enjoy music and a need for therapeutic
improvement.
The role of the
music therapist is to help patients:
Express themselves through improvised
or composed music that focuses on specific patient issues
Compose songs or pieces that are
related to the issues experiences during the hospital stay
Facilitate the expression of patient
feelings related to the here and now, injury or disease
Facilitate improvised or recorded
music for increased relaxation and pain reduction
Facilitate intrapersonal and
interpersonal communication through improvisational techniques
and guided imagery to music.
Acquire coping skills in relation to
disease
Therapeutic
Uses of Music Therapy in Conjunction with other Clinical
Programs:
Treatment:
Musically
Assisted Movements
Musically
Assisted Speech
Speech
and Cognition
Psychotherapy
Pain
Management
Palliative
Care
Community Programs:
Caregivers' Support Group
Community Drum Circle
Hispanic Group
Gospel Group
Other Therapeutic
Uses:
Songwriting and recording
Adaptive computer equipment for the
physically impaired
Specialized Groups
for Emotional Support:
Women's Group
Men's Group
Rock Group
Young Adults' Group
Music Therapy
Groups vs. Individual Music Therapy Sessions
Music Therapy Groups.
Sessions are audiotaped, so that patients can listen to the
produced music in and outside the sessions. Music is used to
stimulate memory, facilitate socialization, increase self
esteem. Music Therapy Groups develop a positive trusting dynamic
where patients are encouraged to explore new ways of
self-expression and to experience greater self-acceptance when
positive feedback follows. The familiar songs activate the
patients to move, sing, and express their opinions about various
topics. Here the music is the facilitator of a process that
incorporates established music therapy goals.
Individual Music Therapy
Sessions.
Songwriting is used to facilitate self-expression for patients
who are cognitively intact but who have limited verbal
abilities. Through the use of writing lyrics, the individual is
able to develop a strong trusting relationship with the music
therapist and can explore deeper, more meaningful forms of
self-expression. This is the beginning of the therapeutic
process for such clients. The product, the completed song, adds
to the process in that it gives the client something real and
positive to reflect their accomplishments and abilities.
Popular web sites
for more information:
British Society for Music Therapy
Canadian Assocaition for Music
Therapy
Wilfrid Laurier University
Fermata Music Therapy
American Music Therapy Association
Music Therapy Association of British
Columbia
Capilano College
University of Windsor
Concordia
Victoria Conservatory of Music
The
Laurier Centre for Music Therapy Research
