What do music therapists do?

When people learn that I'm a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), they almost always respond in one of two ways:

“Oh yeah, music is great! I have [insert your favorite physical, emotional, or spiritual problem here], but I feel/do better when I listen to music.”

Excellent! I'm glad to hear that they've improved the quality of their lives through music.

“Music therapy? What is that?”

It's (sometimes) easier to answer by telling you what a board-certified music therapist does. The quick answer is that music therapists use musical activities to help clients achieve non-musical, therapeutic goals.

Not very helpful, is it.

So, what does that even mean? It doesn't explain a lot of about it. Most people understand the idea of mental health therapists sitting with their clients in group or individual sessions, while the clients talk about their troubles. Physical therapists working with their clients on specific exercises in order to help them recover as much physical ability as they can after an accident isn't unfamiliar to most, either. But what does a music therapist do? How does that even work?

This is where it gets complicated, because it depends on the client's goals, and those goals vary with their clinical population.

Okay, more terms to explain. Clinical population is a broad category of people that fit within a particular category. Most people fit within several categories at the same time. Those populations might have a set of common challenges. Let me give you some examples based on real situations. They aren't real people, just composites based on typical challenges and approaches for different clients.

Crystal and Lisa

Crystal is pregnant. Expectant mothers often face pain and uncertainty during their pregnancy and Crystal is no different. She's attending birthing classes at her local community hospital to learn how to best take care of herself during her pregnancy, and learn techniques to help her cope with the pain of childbirth. Lisa is a board-certified music therapist that works at the hospital, working with the nurse teaching the birthing classes. Lisa helps teach Crystal how to use music to help her relax, physically and mentally, to support cognitive pain management to help her prepare for the birth. Lisa will likely help Crystal prepare a playlist of her favorite songs that are appropriate to the goal of relaxation and pain management.

Morgan's Group

Morgan is a music therapist working at a community mental health clinic. He is currently working with a group of adults who suffer from anxiety and chronic depression. If you were to step into the group you might notice that there's not a lot of talking. Instead, each person in the group is improvising on a musical instrument, maybe a hand drum, a small xylophone, or some other percussion instrument. They may not feel comfortable talking, but can express and processing their feelings with the group using non-verbal means, making music together with Morgan's encouragement and guidance.

Sara, Floyd, and Beatrice

Sara works as the music therapist for a local assisted living center. Her clients are all senior citizens. Some of them are frail and have various physical limitations. Others are depressed and have trouble socializing with others.

Today, Sara is working with a group using hand bells to perform songs that they all love. One of the patients, Floyd, recently had a stroke that left him with limited mobility in his right hand. Working with Floyd's physical therapist, Sara has given Floyd a part to play and a bell with an adaptive handle that makes easier to hold. This will encourage Floyd to use and move the afflicted arm, in order to help him regain mobility and strength. Beatrice, another member of the group, can't see very well so, Sara has prepared music notation large enough for Beatrice to see.

Both Floyd and Beatrice are struggling emotionally with their new reality, and have started to isolate themselves in their rooms. The bell choir provides them both opportunity, and encouragement, to make and maintain social connections, mental clarity and physical dexterity. Participating in this bell choir helps the members see they still have a lot to offer, and have a more positive outlook regarding their new situations.

Shane and Abe

Shane works in rehab facility nearby. His clients have come here because they have been in accidents or have some kind of neuromuscular disorder. They are trying to recover their ability to perform basic physical movements like walking, eating, writing, or other tasks. Abe is one of Shane's patient's who suffers from a brain injury and is having trouble with his walking gait. While Shane already has some experience with this, he has consulted with Abe's physical therapist to make sure they are doing exercises that are appropriate for Abe at this point in his recovery.

Steady rhythms provide timing cues and improve the steadiness of the walking gait, Shane sings and performs some of Abe's favorite songs, providing a steady beat with his guitar while Abe does the exercises and practices walking. Shane doesn't use recorded music because then he can make sure the tempo he provides is appropriate for Abe, based on how he is doing at this point in his recovery. Abe enjoys the activity because it's his favorite music. He's less likely to be become frustrated by his limitations, and more likely to stick with it until completion.

Courtney and the Kids

Courtney works a few blocks away in a preschool program for children with language disabilities and developmental delays. They sing a favorite children's song together, “Old MacDonald Had A Farm.” She has chosen that song, and others, to reinforce specific language concepts and verbal sounds as part of their speech therapy.

Does this give you an idea of what music therapy is? Leave your questions in the comments, below.