Resources & references

This paper explores perspectives on musical competence for seven people with borderline personality disorder participating in an 8-week music therapy program using group improvisation. Participants’ perceived changes in musical competence appear to have facilitated relational insights and learning from which they derived therapeutic benefits. As participants’ musical competencies expanded, emotionality decreased, and a healthier self-concept emerged.

In his studio at the Montreal General Hospital, music therapist Dany Bouchard uses music to connect with patients of the Mental Health Mission. Through regular sessions, Dany helps access their emotions, patients express their feelings, and open new doors to healing.

In this video (in Spanish), Natalia Garbarets, a music therapist in Spain, explains what music therapy is, how it differs from musical education, and what are its benefits.

This news report features an interview with Canadian music therapist Kevin Kirkland. He explains how he uses rapping to help persons with mental health and substance use issues to process their experiences and express themselves. 

The Canadian Journal of Music Therapy (CJMT) is a bilingual, peer-reviewed publication that aims to raise international standards of music therapy knowledge and practice. 

Testimonial of a gentleman in Australia who participated in music therapy after experiencing a dirt bike accident. He explains how music therapy helped his neurorehabilitation, such as walking, and memory skills.

Click here to watch an interview explaining this video further.

This paper hopes to provide an insight into the role of music therapy as a Salutogenic approach within a biopsychosocial framework and its need to be accepted in the Indian context. Music therapy may play the role with preventative and curative periods of treatment, as well as support to cope and acceptance toward the inevitable for the patient as well for the caregivers. Music therapy provides a biopsychosocial and holistic approach to palliative care.

Many young people experience social isolation during times of mental illness which can impact lifelong health outcomes. Supporting recovery involves addressing the social dimensions of mental health and promoting capacity for community engagement. A practice-based study was designed to explore how a pilot group music therapy project could support young people to bridge from mental health services into everyday community engagement. Results show that young people’s experienced of the group as a safe space that supported processes of coming together and constructing the social identity. The concept of scaffolding is offered as a useful way of considering how support may be structured.

A pilot study of a the SMAART music therapy protocol shows that it can help prisoners with a Post Traumatic Stres Disorder (PTSD) in a Penitentiary Psychiatric Center. Neurologic music therapy techniques, guided breathing, singing and rhythmic exercises were effective in reducing hyperarousal and improving attention among participants.

 This article discusses the positive benefits on well-being of adding music therapy to kangaroo care, which stresses the importance of skin to skin touch for preterm infants.

This is a summary of a study, which reveals promising findings for the application of improvisational music therapy in assuaging the multidimensional acute pain of adult patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). 

This paper delineates the design and development of the mindfulness-based music therapy (MBMT) program implemented in a pilot study and includes clients’ narrative journal responses. Conclusions and recommendations, including recommendation for further exploration of the function of music in mindfulness practice are provided.