If I haven’t emphasized it enough in previous posts, (i.e. We Are… Goal Oriented, Flexible, Data Driven) music therapy is incredibly individualized. Every client, treatment plan, intervention, and session plan is individualized. Though there are standards for music therapy practice and specific intervention that are tested and supported, those standards and intervention sets are often broad and can be manipulated slightly to meet the specific need of each individual.
Think about it this way. If you are a client that really enjoys pop music but despises country, it may not be in the best interest of the client to do a movement exercise to or lyric analysis of a country hit. Just like using a 90’s pop song for a child born in 2003 or using a song from 2010 for a reminiscence project of an 80 year-old woman may not be appropriate. However, you won’t necessarily know what is best for that client until you have the opportunity to get to know them. Not every person will respond to an intervention the same way.
Individualism also applies to the therapist. Though we all carry the title MT-BC (We Are… Board Certified), each therapists has specific populations they work with and some carry extra titles. Each therapist has their own area of expertise as well as their own unique personality. When looking for a therapist, talk to them and see if they meet your specific needs. MT-BCs may carry extra titles such as:
- NMT – Neurologic Music Therapy
- NICU-MT – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Music Therapist
Some music therapists have multiple degrees as well that help them specialize in music therapy with mental health or children with special needs. Music Therapy is Individualized.
