Music therapists are prone to several mental health risk factors: as a helping professional, we are prone to compassion fatigue and burnout while doubling as professional musicians puts us at an increased risk of depression, anxiety and high rates of stress. New years are new beginnings and perhaps this is the year that you prioritize your mental health.
Read MoreThe study sought to understand how music therapy altered mood for adolescents participating in group services as well as the effect that demographics had on mood alteration, or not. The study was conducted at a large pediatric psychiatric hospital and included over 350 participants aged 12-21 in 3 different units of the hospital.
Read MoreMusic therapy is included as a related service under the IDEA act (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ), found in section B. This means that music therapy can be included on students’ Individualized Education Plans or IEP’s for qualifying students. The article identifies within the literature review that music therapists often work with students on the autism spectrum, citing that over 36% of music therapists responding to a survey indicate that they work with autistic students in a public school setting. This is not the only population served through music therapy however. They also discussed how music therapists work collaboratively with the other members of the IEP team including OT, PT and SLPs.
Read MoreNeuroimaging has been used to chart human network connectivity and dopamine release in the brain when listening to what the participants rate as pleasurable music. Several different studies also used PET scans to track blood flow to various parts of the brain, including the mesocorticolimbic system which is primarily responsible for reward and reinforcement.
Read MoreIn music therapy, we have a physical and auditory medium to promote regulation in the body organically within our practice. If we use Polyvagal theory to help inform our regulation practices in all types of therapy sessions (but especially when working with clients with trauma backgrounds) we can join in this groundbreaking approach to traditional psychotherapy and utilize the fullest potential of our toolset within the body- starting with the brain.
Read MoreIt is becoming increasingly common that music therapists work with clients who are from other countries and cultural backgrounds. Music can play an important role in the culture of every client, so when preparing client-preferred music it’s important to be intentional about honoring different styles, genres, and languages of music that are client preferred in order to connect with your client and be most effective in therapy. This can be daunting at times, since you may not be able to speak the language, you don’t share the same background, or perhaps western instruments are not even capable of producing the same sounds and notes. This is where we have to get creative!
Read MoreWe can and should probably assume that everyone we encounter has some level of trauma. That includes ourselves and others. From the research found by the CDC in the well known ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study reported that 64% of those surveyed had at least one incidence of trauma. That is roughly 2/3rds of the general population had some experience of adverse childhood trauma (including, but not limited to, domestic violence, neglect, maltreament, divorce, abuse, and others. Why is this so important? Because these adverse experiences can impact the individual’s ability to function. It affects the rest of their life!
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