“Music Therapy is an established psychological clinical intervention, delivered by HCPC registered music therapists to help people whose lives have been affected by injury, illness or disability through supporting their psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative and social needs.” (BAMT, 2025)
The earliest found references to music therapy go back as far as 1789 (!), but music therapy began to emerge as a profession in the UK in the late 1950s. Nowadays, music therapy is a HCPC regulated profession that has expanded and now includes various specialisms such as GIM (Guided Imagery in Music), Neurolgic Music Therapy, Vocal Psychotherapy, Vibroacoustic Therapy among others. Music Therapy is a clinical intervention, often implemented alongside other medical and support practitioners and has applications in many different fields, including:
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Stroke Rehabilitation
Dementia & Alzheimer’s
Special Educational Needs
Trauma
Displaced Persons
Forensic
Adult Learning Disability Care
Addiction
Community & Integration
Communication, Relationship & Music
Communication: Music therapists make use of music and sound to create alternative or expanded methods of communication. In music therapy, any and all sounds can be considered for their musical properties and responded to in relatable and accessible ways. This approach allows therapists and service users to work together using innate and natural communicative abilities. Service users are able to use these musical experiences to create their own unique musical language in which to explore and connect with the world and express themselves.
Relationship: Music therapy is often described as a relational intervention, meaning that all work is conducted through a strong therapeutic relationship that is established and developed through mutual musical engagement, play and shared experiences. Creating a strong therapeutic relationship models relationships outside of therapy and offers a safe place to explore issues that may be affecting relationships in everyday life.
Music: Music in therapy is often led by the service user, meaning that the therapist follows the lead of the person in therapy. Music in sessions is often improvised, responding to multi-modal expressions from the person in therapy through matching and imitation that helps a person to feel seen, heard and validated. Music that appeals to their tastes or has biographical, spiritual or cultural significance can also be offered and used as inspiration for improvisation, reflection and emotional engagement. These approaches mean that people with a wide range of cognitive or physical abilities can communicate and actively participate.
