Music Therapy

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is a research-based allied health profession in which music is used to actively support people as they aim to improve their health, functioning and well-being. It can help people of all ages to manage their physical and mental health and enhance their quality of life.You don’t need to be musical to take part in or benefit from music therapy. Qualified music therapists plan and provide musical experiences for their clients. Each session is tailored to the needs and goals of the client.

(AMTA, 2022)

Who can participate in music therapy?

Music therapy is for everyone but not limited to:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Down Syndrome (DS)

Brain injury and stroke rehabilitation

Stress, depression and anxiety disorders

Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Acute and Chronic pain management

Dementia care

Palliative care

Therapeutic Goals

Communication

Receptive and Expressive communication
Listening skills
Gestures
Language skills
Self-expression

Emotional

Self-awareness
Increase self-esteem
Relaxation
Understanding emotions
Practice emotional regulation
Reduce pain, stress, anxiety and grief

Social

Imitation
Eye contact
Sharing space with others
Turn-taking
Following directions
Joint attention

Cognitive

Attention skills (Sustained, selective and Divided)
Processing speed
Long-term memory
Information processes
Counting skills
Flexibility
Decision making

Motor

Endurance
Fine motor
Gross motor
Body awareness
Upper and Lower limb coordination
Hand-eye Coordination
Balance

FAQs

What does a Music Therapist do in the session?

Therapeutic Drumming (The rhythm2recovery model)
Learning music-assisted relaxation techniques, for example, deep breaths, mindfulness exercises and grounding exercises.
Singing of familiar songs
Music improvisation
Writing song lyrics
lyric analysis
Lyric Revision & Substitution
Song discussion
Rapping
Song production
Song list making
Drawing/colouring with recorded or live music
Dancing or moving to live or recorded music
Gestures and sign language learning through familiar songs
Social and communication development through instruments making
*Customise suitable activities to achieve client’s needs

Is Music therapy an approved NDIS allied health support?

Music therapy is under 15_615_0128_1_3 Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training - Music Therapist (Therapeutic Supports/Capacity Building Daily). However, Cicada Music & Music Therapy is not an NDIS provider. But you are still able to access our service if under a self-managed and plan-managed NDIS plan.