APPROACH

Approaches to music therapy rely on the spontaneous incorporation of music that is personally adapted to meet the clients’ needs. The therapist commonly improvises music through the use of percussion or tuned instruments, or his/her own voice, in order to respond creatively to the client’s strengths and the sounds or movements produced. In sessions, the therapist finds ways to support the client’s needs and encourages the client to create his or her own music and/or musical language.

Instruments are selected which are non-threatening to the client. Some people have a strong preference for one type of music genre or sound and find others intolerable, so an individualistic approach is used for people.

The aim is to create a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment within which the client feels comfortable and confident to express him/herself. For some clients who have expressive issues, music therapy techniques often help them experience a wider range of emotions and discover what it is like to be in a two-way communicating relationship. For persons facing losses, music therapy methods are found to help them find comfort, support and sense of hope.