Music therapy is an allied healthcare profession that harnesses music’s therapeutic potential to create meaningful change, development, and growth. Its versatility and accessibility make music therapy suitable for many settings, including mental health care. This page provides more information on music therapy, including its use in mental health.

In this video, I describe a bit more about what music therapy is and why it works:

What Music Is

Understanding what music therapy is also involves understanding music itself. Music can be described as a combination of vocal or instrumental sounds resulting in form, harmony, and emotional expression.

However, this definition misses the nuances of music and individual experience. Music consists of several elements. These elements are rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, and tone color. 

• Rhythm refers to beat, meter, tempo, and syncopation. It involves the duration of sound through time.
• Dynamics relates to how loud or how soft the music is. They can change gradually or suddenly.
• Melody consists of a linear arrangement of pitches. It’s the part of the song usually sung or hummed because it’s memorable.
• Harmony occurs when pitches combine. It adds fullness and gives music its sense of “tonal home.”
• Tone Color, or timbre, is the unique sound quality of each instrument and its range. For example, the voice sounds different than a piano. While their ranges overlap, they also differ.

Music therapists use and adapt these elements to foster therapeutic change. This works because our brains and bodies naturally respond to music. Music can alter breathing, influence movement and speech, and impact us emotionally, mentally, and existentially.

How Is Music Used in Music Therapy?

There are two ways you can understand the use of music in music therapy: by examining the actual therapeutic musical experiences (TMEs) themselves and by considering the purpose or intention behind these music-based experiences. Both perspectives provide valuable insights into the process.

Let’s look at the second way first. This highlights what makes music therapy unique: its purposeful use of music. As healthcare providers, music therapists assess, create treatment plans, and use music to address therapeutic needs.

Assessing

In addition to traditional assessment, music therapy assessment examines how a person responds to music and sounds. For example, someone with sensory processing challenges may perceive sounds and play instruments differently.

The messages a person has received and internalized about their musical or creative abilities will also affect them. Such information is relevant for a music therapist in better understanding who a person is. While music is often seen as something to enjoy, we can have complex relationships with it.

Tempo and dynamics can reflect inner feelings. Fast playing may indicate anxiety, while slow or soft playing may show depression or withdrawal. Forceful playing could reflect anger or a need for sensory input. These observations are valuable for assessment.

Addressing

After assessment, we develop a treatment plan to address therapeutic needs. How music is used depends on these needs. For example, rhythm activities may help those who feel stuck or anxious, while singing can help build self-confidence.

Types of TMEs Used in Music Therapy

Now let’s look at the actual TMEs used in music therapy. They can be active or receptive.

Why Use Music Therapy to Address Mental Health Concerns?

Mental health is vital to well-being, yet its impact is often overlooked. Some people may deny its influence or feel overwhelmed by the idea of talking about their experiences.

Music therapy provides a powerful, motivating, and non-verbal way for people to engage in therapy, express themselves, tap into creativity, and address mental health concerns. It does this because it can:

• Provide people with non-verbal ways to express themselves so they can convey what needs to be said without using words.
• Be motivating and inspiring, even if the therapeutic process itself can feel hard.
• Help people access their inner creativity and playfulness, enabling them to experience more of who they are.

One’s Subjective Experience of Music

However, responses differ widely. Music is subjective, and each person’s response is unique. Thus, musical preferences vary. Past associations with songs or sounds play a role, as do individual sensory and nervous systems.

Everyone is unique, which shapes their connection to music. As music therapists, we value music’s holistic impact and use it to meet people where they are and guide them toward therapeutic growth.

To understand more about how music is used in practice, let’s look more closely at the types of musical activities you might experience in music therapy. Generally, these fall into two categories: active music and receptive music.

How Is Music Therapy Used In Mental Health?

In this video, I describe a bit more about how I use active and receptive music in the music therapy work I do in mental health:

Some Mental Health Needs I Address Through Music Therapy

By now, you may be wondering about some of the specific mental health needs I address through music therapy. Below are some ways I help people improve their mental health and well-being. I find them valuable for people of any age because they are important regardless of age. Likewise, these skills are beneficial to a variety of mental health conditions. These include depression, anxiety, and trauma. Read on to learn more.

Want to Enhance Your Mental Health with Music Therapy?

If you want to know more, you can schedule a free 15-minute consultation here. During this consultation, we can discuss your situation and your needs. From there, we can determine if the services I offer can help you or someone you know.