My Personal Therapy

MUSIC THERAPY

It is an allied health profession and a field of scientific research which studies correlations between the process of clinical therapy and biomusicology, musical acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics and comparative musicology. It is an interpersonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve their observable level of functioning and self-reported quality of life in various domains (e.g., cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional and affective development, behavior and social skills) by using music experiences (e.g., singing, songwriting, listening to and discussing music, moving to music) to achieve measurable treatment goals and objectives. Referrals to music therapy services may be made by a treating physician or an interdisciplinary team consisting of clinicians such as physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.
Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwritingand listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmicentrainment for physical rehabilitation in stroke victims.
The Turco-Persian psychologist and music theorist al-Farabi (872–950), known as "Alpharabius" in Europe, dealt with music therapy in his treatise Meanings of the Intellect, where he discussed the therapeutic effects of music on the soul.[1] Robert Burton wrote in the 17th century in his classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia
There are several concepts of thought regarding the foundations of music therapy, including philosophies based on education, psychology, neuroscience, and music therapy itself.
Music therapists may work with individuals who have behavioral-emotional disorders. To meet the needs of this population, music therapists have taken current psychological theories and used them as a basis for different types of music therapy. Different models include behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.[6]
The therapy model based on neuroscience is called "neurological music therapy" (NMT). NMT is "based on a neuroscience model of music perception and production, and the influence of music on functional changes in non-musical brain and behavior functions."[7] In other words, NMT studies how the brain is without music, how the brain is with music, measures the differences, and uses these differences to cause changes in the brain through music that will eventually affect the client non-musically.

Music therapy for children
There are two approaches to music therapy for children: The therapy session can be one-on-one or in a group setting; both work very well, if used delicately.[9] When a therapist meets with a child for the first time, it is good for the therapist and the child to come up with goals for him or her to meet during the duration together.[10] Music therapy can help children with communication problems, attention, motivation, and behavioral problems.[11] The setup of the room where the session takes place is very important, in order to make the child feel comfortable and to allow the child to produce the music right. It should be a room dedicated for music. There should not be other distracting things in the room. The room needs to be well lit and the temperature of the room should be moderate; it should not be too hot or cold. It is important that the room offers easy access, in case they have a wheelchair or other appliance, and the chairs in the room should be comfortable but still up sit right so the child is not slouching.[12] When it comes to the instruments to use it is good to have a wide range of different instruments from different places. It’s good for them to be colorful, and to have different textures. The therapist should either play a piano or guitar to keep everything grounded and in rhythm. The most important thing, though, is to have high quality instruments and to keep them well taken care of. It is important to remember that some children will be able to handle an instrument while anothers cannot, so you have to give the child the right instrument for them.[13] All these elements help the experience and outcome of the music therapy go better and have more successes for the child. In fact according to Daniel Levitin, it started inside the womb, surrounded by amniotic fluid, the fetus hears sounds. It hears the mother’s heartbeat, at times speed up, at other times slow down, not only that but other music, conversations, and environmental noises. Alexandra Lamont of Keele University in the UK discovered the fetus hears music. She found that, a year after they are born, children recognize and prefer music they were exposed to in the womb. The auditory system of the fetus is fully functional about twenty weeks after conception