More people are choosing the music therapy degree path than ever before because of its ability to help people in a therapeutic setting. Not only will you be able to work with people from different backgrounds, but you will also be able to help in a variety of therapy situations. By taking the time to learn more about how to pursue your music therapy degree, you will be able to make the decision as to whether this field is something that's right for you.
A music therapy degree is a multi-faceted study. Not only will you learn how to listen to music in order to use it for therapeutic purposes, but you will also be learning how to use singing, writing lyrics, and dancing as a part of your sessions with patients. With so many applications, music therapy allows you to custom fit the therapy to the patient, no matter what their obstacles or mental concerns.
But a music therapy degree isn't for everyone. Because you need to interact in a personal way with patients, you need to have excellent communication skills as well as patience. You need to be willing to work with a patient at a speed that works for them. While you might create a plan of action for the patient, you need to be ready and willing to change the plan if the patient is unable to make the goals you have both set.
It takes a special person to finish a music therapy degree. You must love to work with people and you might also have a genuine love and appreciation for music of all kinds. Since different patients are going to respond to different kinds of music, you will need to know various types of music intimately to help choose the right songs or sounds for your particular patient.
You can find music therapy degree programs at many local universities and colleges. Simply look at the psychology department to see if they offer a specific program in this therapy. If not, you might be able to take a course or two in the practice of music therapy and utilize it within a traditional therapy degree.
There are many opportunities for those with a music therapy degree, including private and group practice as well as nursing homes and rehabilitation services. The diversity of your employers allows you to choose the setting that works best for you and for the clients you hope to help.
By majoring in music therapy, you are getting into a growing field of professionals who want to harness the power of the mind to change the life of a patient. While not everyone responds immediately to any therapeutic practice, you can know that you are doing your part to help someone in need of help.
One of the most interesting applications of music therapy is in cancer treatment. Music therapy cancer treatments are very helpful to a wide variety of patients who suffer from a large range of cancers. While music therapy cancer treatments don't actually affect the disease itself – meaning that the tumor will not show any physical signs of improvement – the treatments and therapies will greatly affect the mood of the patient, and sometimes that can make all the difference in the way the patient deals with and feels about the disease.
The American Cancer Society has published several articles about the benefits of music therapy cancer treatments. One from 2004 discusses some of the more specific research done on cancer patients who have received music therapy. The music therapy cancer treatments used were diverse, as were the types of cancers that the patients suffered from. Most of the patients in the study suffered from multiple myeloma, Hodgkin disease, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The reason the study chose to work with these particular cancer patients is because they were undergoing typical medical cancer treatments like autologous stem cell transplant and high-dose chemotherapy. These treatments are exceptionally rigorous on the patient, causing symptoms like anorexia, fevers, and fatigue. But more than these problems, most intense are the emotional rigors of the treatments. These were the symptoms that were best helped by the music therapy cancer treatments.
The music treatments commonly used to treat cancer patients are varied; however, most patients in this study received music therapy in the form of live music played by a trained music therapist. The results of the music therapy cancer treatments in this particular study were fascinating. According to the researchers, patients reported a great improvement in mood. The more anxious patients reported a lessening of their anxiety symptoms. Meanwhile, patients who were experiencing other mood-lowering symptoms like depression reported having an overall elevated mood.
Because of all of the positive results from the multiple successful music therapy cancer treatments used all over the country, music therapy is now offered in many hospitals. There are more therapies than just the live music therapy discussed above. Some patients have used music therapy cancer treatments like music activities. Music activities – often involving writing song lyrics or playing an instrument – have been shown to greatly decrease anxiety in cancer patients. Of course, as with all types of therapy, these music therapy cancer treatments should be done with the help of a trained music therapist. Music therapists work with the individual patient to find the best therapies for that patient.
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