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  • About Music Therapy
    • Questions About Music Therapy
    • Why Should I Try Music Therapy?
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    • Melissa Spiess, M.M., MT-BC Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow
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Music Therapy and Developmental Disabilities

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is an evidence-based allied health service similar to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology that uses music as the therapeutic tool to address physical, cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and/or behavioral needs.

Why Should I Try Music Therapy?

  • Music therapy can help improve cognitive abilities such as executive function skills, attention functions, and memory recall.
  • Due to the way the brain and body respond to music and motivational factors provided by music, music therapists can sometimes gain positive responses when others cannot.
  • Music therapy provides multisensory stimulation through tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli and helps to improve sensory processing and integration.
  • Music therapy can help to improve strength, endurance, and fine and gross motor skills, which can help to increase independence and improve skills required for activities of daily living.
  • Music therapy can provide a different way to express oneself and help to improve social communication skills.

Client Benefits from Music Therapy

Speech/Communication

  • Improve breath support and voice volume
  • Improve intelligibility/clarity of speech
  • Improve articulation
  • Stimulate speech
  • Improve expressive and receptive communication

Cognitive

  • Improve sustained, selective, alternating, and divided attention
  • Improve executive function skills such as organization, problem-solving, decision-making skills, reasoning, and comprehension
  • Improve management of cognitive processes, such as working memory and planning
  • Improve short- and long-term memory and recall
  • Help develop academic skills

Physical

  • Increase range of motion and flexibility
  • Improve functional hand movements, finger dexterity, and limb coordination
  • Improve laterality (side-to-side movement) and directionality (up/down, right/left, back/forth movement)
  • Increase strength and endurance
  • Improve fine motor skills and functional movement sequences that aid in activities of daily living
  • Improve gross motor skills such as­­­­­ mobility, agility, and balance
  • Improve posture and balance

Social/Emotional

  • Increase appropriate social interaction
  • Help develop positive relationships with peers and family
  • Facilitate inclusion
  • Structure positive social interaction and decrease isolation
  • Provide opportunities for successful experiences
  • Improve mood control and affective expression
  • Improve reality orientation
  • Decrease stress and anxiety
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Provide an outlet for safe self-expression
  • Provide strategies to develop leisure skills

How Do I Know if Someone is Qualified to Provide Music Therapy Services?

  • Qualified music therapists carry the credential MT-BC indicating that they have passed the national, independent certification board exam and have maintained awareness of current practice through continuing education or retesting. DO NOT work with anyone claiming to be a music therapist without the MT-BC designation.
  • To confirm MT-BC status go to: http://www.cbmt.org/certificant_search
  • Music therapists may carry the designation of Neurologic Music Therapist, which means that they have undergone additional training in this specific model of music therapy. Neurologic Music Therapist Fellow indicates that they have successfully passed advanced training and peer review of Neurologic Music Therapy techniques.

It is highly recommended that those with neurologic issues work primarily with Neurologic Music Therapists.

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Music Therapy Resources

Board Certification

  • American Music Therapy Association
  • Certification Board for Music Therapy
  • Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy

Downloads

  • Music Therapy-Referral-Form
  • Music-Therapy-Referral-Candidates
  • MT for Parkinson’s Disease
  • MT for Stroke Rehabilitation
  • MT for Seniors
  • MT in Hospice & Palliative Care Trifold Brochure
  • MT for Autism
  • MT for Developmental Disabilities
  • MT for Children with Special Needs
  • MT & Mental Health
  • MT for Wellness
  • Legacy Gifts and Digital Services
  • Candidates for Music Therapy

Start Music Therapy

Whimsical music notes on a staff

How Do I Begin Music Therapy Services?

If you would like to find out more about how music therapy may help your loved one or to begin music therapy services, please contact:

Melissa Spiess, M.M., MT-BC
Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow
melissa@livingspirittherapy.com
651-363-3936

If you know you would like to initiate music therapy services please download, print, and complete the referral form.

Download Form

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All Living Spirit Therapy Services, LLC employees are credentialed through the Certification Board for Music Therapists.

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Contact Us

Melissa Spiess, M.M., MT-BC

Neurologic Music Therapist
melissa@livingspirittherapy.com
651-363-3936

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