Music Therapy: All You Need to Know

Music therapy first underwent exploration and experimentation in the early 1800s. As the mental health field has progressed, music therapy has been discovered as a legitimate and effective solution for issues such as pain management, sleep improvement, stress reduction, mood control, and the easing of depression symptoms (Verywellmind.com). As a part of their training, music therapists will undergo the required musical therapy programs in college, thorough examinations to gain a professional credential as a graduate, and must register with the National Music Therapy Registry (American Music Therapy Association) to be qualified for professional musical therapy. Once a music therapist has gone through this training, the American Music Therapy Association states that they can “use music strategies, both instrumental and vocal, which are designed to facilitate changes that are non-musical in nature.” The musical strategies in question are often modified to suit the client and the client’s psychological, physical, or social needs, and clients do not need to have a background in music to undergo music therapy. Musical therapists may also often have mental health training and/or advanced music therapy techniques to assist their clientele. 

Music therapists can be found in multiple mental health assistance services, such as psychiatric treatment centers, group homes, substance abuse centers, and schools. Some music therapists may also be self-employed. The AMTA ( American Music Therapy Association) represents over 5,000 therapists and details extensive research to support the physical and emotional benefits of music therapy. According to Thescientist.com, the answer as to why music therapy works so well lies in neuroplasty, also known as the brain’s ability to change throughout a person’s life span.  Thescientist.com explains that three principles of neuroplasty are linked to music therapy success: the brain’s reward system, the Hebbian theory, and the promotion of neuroplasty. First off, the brain’s reward system is, at its very basics, simple; certain behaviors such as eating or drug use will release dopamine. Through extensive research, scientists have discovered that music provides this positive hormonal surge as well. By linking non-music related behaviors to music, music therapists activate the mind’s reward system and enforce that behavior. The second principle, the Hebbian theory, is summarized by the quote “neurons that fire together, wire together.” Essentially, when two neurons fire action potentials simultaneously, they create a new connection. Sensory stimuli are often a cause of these connections, and rhythm is an inherent sensory stimulus in music, therefore causing multiple new connections to occur within the mind when listening to music. By linking certain music to specific actions, music therapists can strengthen and create new connections in the mind, leading to more permanent behavior changes in their patients. Lastly, the acoustic structure of music (such as rhythm, tone, and note changes) has been discovered to promote neuroplasticity and, as learned through experiments, can improve spatial learning in rats. In summary, music-based therapy can and often does lead to a stronger connection ability in multiple different sections of the brain, resolving issues varying from muscle tension to verbal communication. A few disorders music therapy can help to treat are autism, schizophrenia, speech disorders, and PTSD. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of these disorders and/or issues, music therapy is a very valid option for mind and bodily healing.