Resources & references

Music therapy allows children with visual impairment to reach their goals and develop their motor, cognitive and communications skills. Children who are part of the group explain why they enjoy music therapy. 

This study employed an online survey to investigate current approaches, clinical interventions, and outcome measures used by music therapists working with young children with acquired communication impairments (ACIs)  to address language- and communication-oriented goals. Among the diverse range of interventions employed by music therapists, song singing, vocal improvisation, and music and play emerged as the most effective techniques for supporting individuals with ACIs in achieving their goals. 

Watch music therapist, Sarra Erb, use singing to help babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to assist their development.

Watch as music therapist Kelsey MacDonald provides music therapy sessions to a patient with dementia at Aberdeen Hospital and listen to testimonials from the patient's daughter and the director of the palliative care unit.

Watch how Benji and his music therapist engage together to work towards his goals targeting collaboration, communication, and social skills.

Certified music therapist and researcher Laurel Young discusses her clinical work and research on music therapy in bereavement care and offers recommendations for future practice and research.

Heather Overly, a board-certified music therapist leads a music therapy session with an older adult in hospice care. She explains how music therapy can improve quality of life among this population.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of music therapy support groups (MTSG) on physical, psychological, and social functioning of cancer patients and caregivers. A mixed-methods approach was used, including an experimental, randomized, controlled trial and qualitative data from participant comments. The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant changes pre- to post-session in (a) pain in three sessions; (b) mood, stress, and anxiety in all six sessions; and (c) quality of life in two sessions.

Watch how certified music therapist Bridget Shevlin intervenes in a pediatric hospital centre to support children with complex illnesses at different moments, but even as they undergo medical treatments.

Charlotte Stewart, a board-certified music therapist, sings a hello song to a child during an individual music therapy session, helping the child develop their verbal communication skills through singing.

This video features twin brothers diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy who received individual music therapy sessions. Watch as they play instruments and sing to strengthen their communication, expression, and collaboration, and hear insights from their mother and music therapist in interviews.

Discover a group music therapy session in Spanish designed for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease—one that supports physical movement, stimulates cognitive abilities, enhances interpersonal connection, and encourages emotional expression.

Learn more about the benefits of music therapy for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Learn more about music therapy in Spanish