People often ask me about music therapy, since it's less familiar than clinical counselling. I'm both a Registered Clinical Counsellor and a Certified Music Therapist, and I think it's worth understanding both. Not just as credentials, but as two distinct, yet connected parts of how I work. Here's a closer look at what music therapy is.What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is an evidence-based allied health discipline that uses the language of music towards health, wellness, and recovery outcomes. Within a therapeutic relationship, trained practitioners use music purposefully and clinically to work toward each client's specific goals. Certified Music Therapists bring this work into a range of settings, including hospital, education, and community settings.
In Canada, Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) are regulated by the Canadian Association of Music Therapists (CAMT).
At its core, music therapy combines rhythm, melody, and harmony with the trust built within the client-therapist relationship, creating a safe, creative space to explore, express, and move toward personal goals.
Sessions may draw on both receptive techniques, like listening and reflecting on music, and active techniques, like songwriting, improvisation, lyric analysis, and creative expression, depending on what best supports your goals.
It supports emotional, cognitive, communicative, physical, social, and spiritual needs. And it's for anyone: non-musicians, advanced musicians, and everyone in between.
Who is a Certified Music Therapist?
A Certified Music Therapist (MTA) has completed a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in music therapy from a CAMT-approved program, and a 1,000-hour supervised clinical internship.
Music therapists use music intentionally within the therapeutic relationship, drawing on evidence-based approaches tailored to each person's needs.
Training includes proficiency in piano, guitar, and voice, as well as counselling, group therapy, and facilitation skills. Much of the work involves building tools for connection, both within oneself and with others, and supporting the inner growth that comes from developing new skills and ways of expressing yourself.
