About Music Therapy
Music Therapy is an evidence-based, therapeutic process that harnesses the controlled use of music, musical experiences, and specific elements of music by an accredited music therapist to promote personal growth, therapeutic change, wellness, insight, or development in partnership with the music therapy participant.
Who benefits from music therapy?
Music therapy can be beneficial for anyone who would benefit from supportive counseling, psychotherapy, adapted music lessons, or occupational therapy. People who would benefit from or enjoy music experiences but who have an illness or disability that prevents them from engaging in more conventional types of music experiences benefit from music therapy. There are many documented benefits to actively participating in music. In his Music Therapy practice, Aaron specializes making active music participation accessible to people who have special or additional needs. Music Therapy provides people who have additional needs an alternative and effective venue for achieving therapeutic goals while enhancing quality of life.
As a Music Therapist, Aaron believes that music should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, and he derives great pleasure from sharing his love & expertise in music with a diversity of music students and music therapy participants.
Aaron has worked many diverse groups of people with a wide range of abilities and challenges. What all these music therapy sessions have in common is that music is central to the therapy and the therapeutic relationship. Music and creative expression are always at the core of the experiences but as these examples demonstrate the approach, energy, objectives, can be very different. Music Therapy is used as a treatment modality in hospitals, educational facilities, long term care centers, and private clinics all over the world. Music therapy is an evidence-based health care profession with on-going research being carried out at many of the worlds' most reputed universities. Music therapy can be an effective therapeutic intervention for anyone who would benefit from psychotherapy, occupational therapy, or recreation therapy. Music Therapists typically work in environments that care for people with:
(click on the blue links for more information)
As a Music Therapist, Aaron believes that music should be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, and he derives great pleasure from sharing his love & expertise in music with a diversity of music students and music therapy participants.
Aaron has worked many diverse groups of people with a wide range of abilities and challenges. What all these music therapy sessions have in common is that music is central to the therapy and the therapeutic relationship. Music and creative expression are always at the core of the experiences but as these examples demonstrate the approach, energy, objectives, can be very different. Music Therapy is used as a treatment modality in hospitals, educational facilities, long term care centers, and private clinics all over the world. Music therapy is an evidence-based health care profession with on-going research being carried out at many of the worlds' most reputed universities. Music therapy can be an effective therapeutic intervention for anyone who would benefit from psychotherapy, occupational therapy, or recreation therapy. Music Therapists typically work in environments that care for people with:
(click on the blue links for more information)
- a history of abuse
- addictions
- autism
- Brain Injury
- Chronic Stress & Anxiety
- developmental disability
- dementia/Alzheimer's
- eating disorders
- emotionally disturbed children and youth
- geriatircs
- learning disabilities
- medical problems
- mental illness
- neurologically impairments
- pain
- physical disabilities
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- speech impairments
- terminal illnesses/ palliative care
How Does it work?
"Music therapy research and clinical practice have proven to be effective with people of all ages and abilities. Whether a person's challenges are physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological, music therapy can address a person's needs. At its core, music therapy is the interaction between a therapist, a client (or clients) and the use of music. A music therapist assesses the client(s) and creates a clinical plan for treatment in conjunction with team and client goals, which in turn determines the course of clinical sessions. A music therapist works within a client-centered, goal-directed framework "
Quoted from the website of the Music Therapy Association of British Colombia.
When words fail music can set us free.
Quoted from the website of the Music Therapy Association of British Colombia.
When words fail music can set us free.
What Happens in a music therapy session?
Music therapy sessions are highly variable according to the needs and therapuetic goals of the participant. Music therapy techniques employed by the therapist can draw from any of the ways that people experience music. Music therapy can involve:
- Improvising music
- songwriting
- playing instruments
- listening to live or recorded music
- discussing /analyzing lyrics
- singing
- movement to music
Who is qualified to practice music therapy?
Persons who complete one of the approved university music therapy curricula (including a 1000 hour supervised clinical internship) are then eligible to apply to the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) for the credential Music Therapist Accredited (MTA). Music therapists who successfully complete the rigorous accreditation process use the MTA designation.
Aaron Lightstone began his 1000 hour clinical internship in psychiatry in 1997 and completed it in 1998 at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada's largest psychiatric hospital. He has been an MTA since 1999. Since that time he has served on the CAMT's Accreditation Review Board (the independent body that grants the MTA designation to prospective therapists), taught music therapy courses at Wilfrid Laurier University, and completed a Master's Degree (MMT) in music therapy.
Aaron Lightstone began his 1000 hour clinical internship in psychiatry in 1997 and completed it in 1998 at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada's largest psychiatric hospital. He has been an MTA since 1999. Since that time he has served on the CAMT's Accreditation Review Board (the independent body that grants the MTA designation to prospective therapists), taught music therapy courses at Wilfrid Laurier University, and completed a Master's Degree (MMT) in music therapy.
Is there research to support music therapy?
There are now a number of internationally recognized peer-reviewed, scholarly journals that publish evidence based academic papers on music therapy. There is now a vast body of research exploring the benefits of music as therapy. A very short list of these journals includes;
The Canadian Journal of Music Therapy
The Arts in Psychotherapy
The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
Voices, an on line forum for Music Therapy
The British Journal of Music Therapy
The Journal of Music Therapy
Music Therapy Perspectives
International Journal of Rehabilitation Research
Arts and Health : An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice
Journal of Neurological Sciences
Rehabilitation Nursing
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
Papers on music therapy have also been published in peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, Dentistry, Musicology, Clinical Psychology, Medicine, Education, and others.
The Canadian Journal of Music Therapy
The Arts in Psychotherapy
The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy
Voices, an on line forum for Music Therapy
The British Journal of Music Therapy
The Journal of Music Therapy
Music Therapy Perspectives
International Journal of Rehabilitation Research
Arts and Health : An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice
Journal of Neurological Sciences
Rehabilitation Nursing
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
Papers on music therapy have also been published in peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, Dentistry, Musicology, Clinical Psychology, Medicine, Education, and others.
