All photography provided by Pam Hults and the Griffin School
Music Therapy is a Tool Used Around the World to Help People with Mental, Physical and Emotional Issues but What is Music Therapy?
A brief History
Cultures have been using music as a form of therapy for centuries but in the last 50 years music therapy has gained a more clinical application. Music therapy has become a very successful tool for helping autistic kids develop communication and relationship skills. It has also been very useful for patients with neurological diseases. However, music therapy provides benefits for more than just these specific patients.
Benefits
- Increases in vocalization
- Increases in Motivation
- Decreases in Anxiety
- Improvements in Self-Confidence
- Decreases in Muscle Tension*
Information provided by the American Music Therapy Association*
How to get Access to Music therapy
You can either go to a counselor, a group, or you can just write music on your own to express your feelings. There is no requirements for someone to use music therapy.
Tools to learn More
Resources to Create this Page
- A Comprehensive Guide to Music Therapy : Theory, Clinical Practice, Research and Training by Wigram, Tony, Pedersen, Inge Nygaard, Bonde, Lars Ole
- Music Therapy: An Introduction to Therapy and Special Education Through Music by Donald E. Michel
- American Music Therapy Association
Other Recommended Resorces
- Center for Music Therapy
- What is Music Therapy (youtube video)
- Good Therapy