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Therapy Through Music

Reduce stress, alleviate pain, improve communication and express feelings through this form of medicine.


Music Therapy is an established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages.  It improves the quality of life for persons who are well and meets the needs of children and adults with disabilities or illnesses.  Music therapists are trained to assess emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses and design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music; participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow up.


This type of therapy can benefit people of all ages with Alzheimer’s, learning disabilities, substance abuse problems, physical disabilities, and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor.  The client does not have to have any previous musical inclinations and all styles of music can be useful in effecting change in a client or patient's life.  The individual's preferences, circumstances and need for treatment, and the client or patient's goals help to determine the types of music a music therapist may use.  Healthy individuals can use music for stress reduction via active music making, such as drumming, as well as passive listening for relaxation. Music is often a vital support for physical exercise. 

Since 1994, music therapy has been identified as a reimbursable service under benefits for Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) through Medicare and Medicade programs vary from state to state.  You can also check with your insurance company to see if music therapy services are a covered form of treatment.  
 

Source: musictherapy.org