Music Therapy

What is Music Therapy

Music Therapy is an evidence-based profession that seeks to discover and implement current research, literature and best practices in the promotion of well-being for a client. Music is also used creatively and spontaneously in response to a client’s personal expressiveness and use of music within a session.

A Certified Music Therapist will use a wide variety of interventions and techniques in order to reach the therapeutic goals for an individual client or a group to maintain and improve the health and well-being of an individual. Music Therapy includes a therapeutic relationship and interactions with a Music Therapist and not just the music.

What Music Therapy is Not

Music Therapy is not primarily entertainment or the recreational enjoyment of music. It is not education in that the goal isn’t to learn musical skills, theory or the ability to play a certain instrument.

Music Therapy isn’t just music for relaxation or stimulation, and although it can include both, it reaches farther than these two goals.

 

The clients

Who benefits from Music Therapy

  • Alzheimer's/ Dementia

  • Autism

  • Developmental Disabilities

  • Neurological Impairment

  • Speech and Language Impairments

  • Behavioural Disorders

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Everyone can benefit from Music Therapy since it resonates with all of us in different ways. Common populations that Music Therapists works with include people with:

  • Palliative Care

  • Emotional Traumas

  • Acquired Brain Injuries

  • Learning Disabilities

  • Mental Health

  • Elderly Care

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and people with many other types of conditions and disabilities can also benefit from Music Therapy.

Definition

So is it Music or Therapy?

It is both. The core of the work is the belief that everyone has the capacity to respond to music, regardless of illness, disability, or social isolation. Therapists use collaborative, active music-making (improvising, writing, or playing songs) as a universal language for communication and connection, especially where words fail.

Both forms leverage music's power to affect brain chemistry and emotional regulation, but music therapy provides a structured, therapeutic, and evidence-based approach.

You can consult the following links on Music Therapy:

Individual Session

Ideal for clients who thrive in a one-to-one setting. Sessions provide a private and confidential space for addressing specific cognitive, emotional, and physical needs.


Group Session

Group sessions foster a sense of community, encouraging participants to explore the therapeutic benefits of music in a shared space.

Frequently Asked Questions regarding Music Therapy

  • sessions involve live, improvised music tailored to the client's needs, often using piano, voice, and percussion, with guitar. The approach focuses on active music-making to build therapeutic relationships and facilitate emotional expression. It emphasizes active participation rather than just listening, using musical "companionship" to meet individual needs. Music therapy has gained popularity as a complementary approach to traditional medical treatments. One of the key components of music therapy is the diverse array of instruments used to create a therapeutic environment.

  • The process of Music Therapy often begins with a referral (not always), followed by an assessment and the development of a treatment plan. Goals and objectives are formulated, and treatment is implemented. Documentation of the client’s responsiveness to music are closely and continually observed and evaluated, to determine the effectiveness of the treatment plan. Termination happens when goals have been met and/or the client is unable to continue in Music Therapy for a variety of reasons.

  • Music Therapy sessions can run anywhere between 15 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending upon the age and needs of a client, and whether a client is participating in an individual or group session. Sessions can be scheduled once a week or as frequently as two or three times/week. This will be determined by the Music Therapist, with consideration of the preferences and needs of the client and/or the client’s family.

  • In Sweden, music therapy sessions often cost between 650–1200 SEK for private, non-subsidized sessions, or are covered by regional healthcare for roughly 200–350 SEK per session with a referral. Billable services include direct client contact, documentation including session notes, assessment, evaluations, meetings/consultations, creation/preparation of session related materials, sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice.

  • This is beneficial but not essential to starting Music Therapy. Most clients have various assessments done (Speech/Language, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, etc.) through their school system or privately, and as a Music Therapist I would review any previous assessments and incorporate the knowledge, goals and objectives into my treatment plan and sessions. The Music Therapist will conduct an assessment during the first sessions to determine a client’s preferences and responsiveness to specific instruments, genres and music therapy interventions and techniques. A baseline will be determined in all functional domains. A variety of formal Music Therapy assessments are also available as needed.

  • Yes, funding for music therapy in Sweden is available, primarily through private foundations, charities, and specific project grants rather than as a universal, automatic public health service. Key sources include MusikBojen which funds music therapy for children in hospitals, psychiatry, and care homes, and Signatur Foundation Sweden, which supports projects benefiting children and youth