Catherine Ulbricht Use Of Music Therapy

In essence, the practice of therapy refers to the act of alleviating pain or suffering from a patient due to a certain disorder or illness. From dementia, to depression, to stroke victims, therapy becomes a key part of these patients lives. While there are many types of therapy that pertain to rehabilitation, there are some that stand out among the crowd. One of them is known as music therapy. To many, it serves as a therapeutic assessment of mental function, and therapeutic relief through musical acts. Primarily used with patients who suffer from strokes or mental disorders who are subject to limited cognitive and mental function, the goal of music therapy is to rehabilitate the patients independence through music listening, playing, and other

But what are some of the effect music therapy can have on different illnesses and disorders? Catherine Ulbricht from Natural Standard speaks on the importance of music therapy and how it can affect different mental disorders. One of her main points within the article “Music Therapy for Health and Wellness” (Ulbricht) was that “Music is often linked to mood. A certain song can make us feel happy, sad, energetic, or relaxed” (Ulbricht). She starts off the article with how music therapy affects patients who are affected by Autism. She states that Autism is a disorder that affects the cognitive abilities of a person, including “communication and social interaction” (Ulbricht). She continues by saying that music therapy could help people who suffer from Autism because “People who have autism spectrum disorders often show a heightened interest and response to music…(it) may aid in the teaching of verbal and nonverbal communication” (Ulbricht). Next, Ulbricht explores the territory of dementia, stating that dementia is a disorder where the patient loses a majority of cognitive ability. From this, the person affected may have trouble remembering, learning, thinking and basic judgement calls. She goes on to say that “music therapy has been found to reduce aggressive or agitated behavior, reduce symptoms of dementia, improve mood, and improve cooperation with daily task” (Ulbricht). She also states that it has been found that music therapy can reduce the possibility of the patients getting heart or brain illnesses that stem from dementia (Ulbricht). Finally, Ulbricht states that music therapy can “have long-lasting effects” (Ulbricht) on people who suffer from depression. Since depression is considered a “mood disorder” (Ulbricht), music therapy can sustain major effects for people who suffer from depression. Alfredo Raglio from the World Journal of