According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), music therapy is “the clinical and evidence-based use of musical interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” Music therapy can be used to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of an individual. The American Psychological Association (APA) notes that music therapy can provide a variety of benefits. First, what does music therapy consist of?
The AMTA states that musical therapists assess their clients’ emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication skills, and cognitive skills through musical response. Therapists will often design music sessions that involve music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music. Treatment centers, agencies for disabilities, community health centers, drug and alcohol programs, senior centers and nursing homes, hospice programs, correctional facilities, halfway houses, schools, and private practices all typically offer music therapy.
In a meta-analysis of 400 studies, researchers found that music improves the body’s immune system and reduces stress. Previous research has also shown music therapy to relax patients before surgery – even more so than prescription drugs. In a 2013 study, researchers from the University of Alberta explored the benefits of music therapy on 42 children, ages 3 to 11. They found that both listening to and playing relaxing music while getting an IV inserted made the children feel significantly less pain, while some children even reported experiencing significantly less distress overall. How is music so beneficial to our health?
Doctors from Harvard Medical School state that humans are rhythmic beings; our heartbeat, breathing, and brain waves are all rhythmic. Our brain and nervous system are constructed to identify music as separate from noise, and we can respond to rhythm and repetition, tones and tunes. Music therapy has been shown to help stroke victims, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities, acute and chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and more. Music Therapy Connections, an organization that promotes music therapy for recovery, states that music therapy can be used by all: children, adolescents, adults, and elderly.
If you are interested in participating in a home-like treatment center that offers music therapy, call us today at 888-958-7511. Avalon Malibu’s licensed professionals are accredited by the American Music Therapy Association or approved college list. Our music therapists will work with you individually to best meet your needs, and they truly care about your success and recovery. Get the type of treatment and support that best suits you. Call us today.
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