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When Do I Hire a Music Therapist?

March is National Music Therapy Awareness Month. Throughout the month we aim to promote the profession of certified Music Therapists.

You see, music therapists are on a quest to ensure the general public knows when to access our services. Here are a few key points that may help your decision in accessing a music therapist:

  1. Music Therapist’s are trained with, at minimum, a degree in Music Therapy, have completed a 1000-hour internship, and have received their accreditation status (certification) through their National Association (in our case the Canadian Association for Music Therapy).  Many of us also belong to our provincial/regional associations.
  2. Music Therapists complete their schooling with core music therapy competencies (specific music therapy interventions, basic counselling skills etc.). Many then go on to complete advanced training in specialty areas (ie. counselling, neurologic training, guided imagery).  At JBMT we have an eclectic team of 14 music therapists from around the world – although we all start out as generalists, many of us, the longer we practice, become quite focused on one, two or three areas of specialty.
  3. Music Therapists work with all ages (0 – 108), and many  needs. Here are some of the specialty services we provide at JBMT (please note that all Music Therapy companies will be unique in what specific services they provide): …… you may want to also check out What is Music Therapy
    • Group Therapy Programs (at our centre or at your agency) – groups range in needs from groups of seniors with dementia and their spouses, to children, youth, teens and adults with disabilities
    • Individual Therapy  – these are particularly applicable to those looking for intensive therapy.  Examples may be those suffering from depression and other mental health issues, individuals on the quest for vocal recovery after stroke, people who have acquired a brain injury, children with autism
    • Bed Side Service – palliative care, seniors, children who are critically ill, hospice care
    • Corporate Employee Assistance Programs and Health Care Professionals – stress reduction at the workplace, wellness, team-building, productivity enhancement
    • Community Presentations for the General Public on Using Music with Greater Intention
    • Summer Camps for Children

Here in Calgary we are fortunate – we have HUGE supporters and many donors to support the music therapy programs at agencies we serve. We are grateful and we are definitely #bettertogether