Music Therapy

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What is music therapy?

Who benefits from music therapy?

Selected Music Therapy Bibliography

What is music therapy?...top of page

Music therapy is the skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development.

Canadian Association for Music Therapy / Association de Musicothérapie du Canada Annual General Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 6, 1994

Who benefits from Music Therapy?...top of page

Music therapy is used with individuals of various ages, abilities, and musical backgrounds in institutional, community and private practice settings. This includes but is not limited to:

• Acquired Brain Injury
• AIDS
• Autism and other Pervasive Development Disabilities
• Critical Care
• Developmental Disabilities
• Emotional Traumas
• Geriatric Care
• Hearing Impairments
• Mental Health
• Neonatal Care
• Obstetrics
• Oncology
• Pain Control
• Palliative Care
• Personal Growth
• Physical Disabilities
• Speech and Language Impairments
• Substance Abuse
• Teens at Risk
• Victims of Abuse
• Visual Impairments

Selected Music Therapy Bibliography...top of page

The following bibliography is not comprehensive but can provide you with a starting point for researching music therapy topics.

Music Therapy Bibliography
Music Therapy Pamphlets (compliments of Association québécoise de musicothérapie)