Almost all people have experienced in some way or another music’s impact in the way they feel – when you come home after an especially hard day’s work at the office and after tucking your children to bed, you now have a precious few moments to yourself. You put on some relaxing music on the stereo and sit back and just chill out. Many have learned to use music as a form of therapy to help them deal with a wide range of circumstances. Music may not only be for listening but also for singing and playing as well. You don’t need to be a talented instrumentalist, although, some music therapists encourage their patients to pick up some instruments to play such as a drum or even a triangle.
In music therapy, the patient does not need to adhere to a specific type of song or music; in fact, most of the music will be extemporaneous. Whatever the kind of music played, the main objective is to instill in each patient an overall feeling of wellbeing that will help promote positive behavioral changes.
While Music therapy can be done in group or individual sessions, there are certain guidelines that must be met for the therapy to be successful. The therapy room needs to be private, so once the session has begun, there is little chance of it being disrupted. There must be a variety of instruments in the therapy and video and audio facilities are also desirable.
What also needs to be taken into account are certain clinical considerations like complete commitment of the volunteers assisting in the therapy, the length of time of each session , and the therapy should always be in the same room every week.
What Patients Benefit from Music Therapy?
Music therapy is can practically benefit anyone but it’s especially helpful for people suffering from the following conditions.
Autism, AIDS/HIV, addiction, people of all ages with learning disorders, people with mental health disorders, epilepsy, behavioral and emotional problems, victims of mental and sexual abuse, people suffering from eating disorders, stress, and communication problems.
How Does Music Therapy Help?
Music therapy can provide several forms of benefits;
- It is an ideal way to express thoughts and feelings without the need for words.
- It can greatly benefit people suffering from emotional problems since they can use music as a safe way of releasing feelings that have been repressed for a long time.
- It can provide people with a great feeling of confidence and achievement.
- It can help increase attention span, concentration, and memory
The fact is as each individual has its own specific needs and music therapy can be helpful in a wide range of issues and the chances for improvement in problem areas are almost infinite.