Music Therapy

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Music therapy is used to treat people for various reasons and there are multiple styles of treatment presently being used. Music therapy is an effective form of therapy that is used on people of all ages to improve quality of life. Music therapy has been used in the medical industry for more than 60 years and there are many people who have no idea what it is. During W.W.I., music therapy in the United States began to develop when music was used in the Veterans Administration Hospitals as an intervention to address traumatic war injuries. There were several musicians who were not working and they would go to the Veteran hospitals to play for the injured soldiers. “Numerous doctors and nurses witnessed the effect music had on veterans' psychological, physiological, cognitive, and emotional state” (University Hospitals Health Systems, 2005-2008, para.2). Many years ago it would be so hard to find a music therapist, but now music therapists are available in many different locations and facilities. Some of the most common places to find a music therapist are in rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, daycare treatments centers, medical hospitals, senior centers, drug and alcohol programs, correctional facilities, developmentally disabled persons, schools, and private practice (American Music Therapy Association, 1999). Music therapy has evolved significantly throughout the years, and there are multiple areas in the medical field that are working together to incorporate different techniques of music therapy. For instance, “Music therapists work collaboratively with physicians, social workers and other hospital staff to create interventions designed to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, exp... ... middle of paper ... ...omotes Health. About.com Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/music_therapy.htm Sparks, Alicia, (2007 The Mental Benefits of Music Therapy. Mental Health Notes Retrieved on June 2, 2008, from http://www.mentalhealthnotes.com/2007/07/09/the-mental-benefits-of-music-therapy/ Staum, J. Myra, (2008) Music Therapy and Language for the Autistic Child. Autism Research Institute Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://www.autism.com/families/therapy/music.htm Syed, Ibrahim B. Ph. D. (2006) Music Therapy. Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_1_50/music_therapy.htm The Profound Effects of Music on the Mind. (2003) University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Retrieved June 2, 2008 from http://www.ucsf.edu/synapse/articles/2008/Apr/17/musictherapy.html

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