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Music Therapists

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral status.

What you’d do

  • Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
  • Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's goals or objectives.
  • Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
  • Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect upon their reactions to musical experiences.
  • Customize treatment programs for specific areas of music therapy, such as intellectual or developmental disabilities, educational settings, geriatrics, medical settings, mental health, physical disabilities, or wellness.
  • Establish client goals or objectives for music therapy treatment, considering client needs, capabilities, interests, overall therapeutic program, coordination of treatment, or length of treatment.
  • Document evaluations, treatment plans, case summaries, or progress or other reports related to individual clients or client groups.
  • Assess client functioning levels, strengths, and areas of need in terms of perceptual, sensory, affective, communicative, musical, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, or other abilities.

Skills that matter

  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Service Orientation
  • Speaking

How to get there

Considerable preparation: most need a four-year bachelor's degree

Also called

  • Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC)
  • LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist)
  • Music Therapist
  • Neurologic Music Therapist
  • Public School System Music Therapist
  • Therapist

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