Study Music Therapy Certification Online; Find a healthier and natural way of treating physical and other mental health-related conditions

In our Music Therapy Online Course, you will learn about the significant health advantages of music therapy and how you can help people suffering from physical and mental health conditions. If you are interested in becoming a music therapist, this certification course can help.

We begin our comprehensive online course by explaining everything about music therapy is and how this is performed. Also included in this music course is information on how to perform it and the people who will benefit from it. To give students a practical, first-hand experience, students will be guided through exercises that help them understand what it is like for clients undergoing music therapy.

When students enroll in this Online Music Therapy Course, they will be guided through the different aspects of music therapy and strategies that people in the profession take. Using various techniques will demonstrate the breadth of what music therapy can treat, depending on the person being treated.

What you will learn with our Music Therapy Course

• Introduction to Music Therapy
• Goals of Music Therapy
• Music Therapy in Practice
• Sound Therapy
• Music Therapy Techniques
• Music Therapy Applications
• Music Therapy Research

Music Therapy Certification - Requirements

The Music Therapy Certification is delivered 100 percent online.

To successfully complete this course, a student must:

• Have access to the internet and the necessary technical skills to navigate the online learning resources
• Have access to any mobile device with internet connectivity (laptop, desktop, tablet)
• Be a self-directed learner
• Possess sound language and literacy skills

Quick Course Facts

1. Course content is structured for easy comprehension
2. Approximately 20 hours of study is needed to complete the course
3. Registered students gain unrestricted access to the Music Therapy Certification
4. All course material is available online 24/7 and can be accessed using any device
5. Study online from anywhere in your own time at your own pace
6. All students who complete the course will be awarded with a certificate of completion

Music Therapy Certification Outline

Module 1: Music Therapy

Music therapy uses music to help people improve, restore, or maintain their mental health and well-being. Music therapy is not something that just any therapist can do. Music therapy is a discipline that helps people reach their goals by improving their bodies and minds in various ways. Most programs are tailored to the needs and interests of individuals, making this a different and distinctive service.

Hearing and the Auditory System

The vibrations of a sound made in the outside environment move to the outer ear. The vibrations travel to the eardrum via the external ear canal. Vibrations are felt in the eardrum. The vibrations go to the middle ear, where the ossicle bones pick them up. The sound waves are magnified and transmitted to the inner ear by the small ossicle bones.

History of Music Therapy

Music therapy has a long history that extends back to the 18th century. Music therapy was once thought to be a legitimate profession. An unidentified author wrote "Music Physically Considered," published in a Colombian magazine in 1789. It is thought to be the first piece of therapeutic music writing.

American Music Therapy Association

The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) provides members with additional resources. Job advertisements, continuing education databases, and scholarship opportunities are just a few examples. The AMTA also maintains a list of schools that provide accredited music therapy programs. Prospective students can filter their results by degree type, patient age range, and other essential factors.

Music Therapist Qualifications

A career in music therapy is both demanding and extremely rewarding. Music therapists can work with persons of all ages who have disabilities or mental health difficulties in this discipline. Music therapists are qualified to work in various settings, including community mental health organizations, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, and schools. In addition, they may work in a private practice setting.

Formal Education

Individuals with a degree in music therapy have the information they need to have a successful profession. Master's programs can be used to build based on a bachelor's degree. Although professional musical training is preferred, a background in music or musical aptitude gained through private study is also acceptable. To get accepted into highly competitive post-graduate programs, certain applicants may be required to audition.

Certification

Music therapists must pass the national board certification exam after completing their degree. The Music Therapist – Board Certified (MC-BT) credential is awarded to those who pass the exam. According to the Certification Board for Music Therapists, music therapists must have all the essential training to perform competently. Under the new norms and regulations, older credentials are no longer recognized.

Personal Traits

Apart from having the necessary credentials to obtain music therapy certifications, aspiring music therapists must also possess specific personality attributes to ensure they are suitable for this profession.

Module 2: Goals of Music Therapy

The goal of music therapy is to use music to help patients achieve positive results. It is a common misperception that the goal of music therapy is to concentrate on musical talents. The goals of music therapy can vary significantly from one person to the next. Individualized therapy programs are frequently created to meet the needs of each patient. Goals are established to keep track of development and choose the best path to obtain the best outcomes for the patient.

Types of Goals

Setting music therapy goals necessitates knowledge of each patient's unique demands. Following the definition of the requirements, each patient's personal preferences must be discovered. Their tastes and personal preferences will guide the therapeutic approach. Setting music therapy goals will be easier once we better understand our patient's needs and preferences.

Setting Goals

To be effective, music therapy aims must be focused on addressing areas of weakness. Short-term goals should strive toward a long-term goal in terms of precision. Music therapy goals must be measurable, as this will demonstrate how far patients have progressed. Specific skills, such as the number of steps walked or the strength of arm muscles, are easier to measure since they can be easily quantified.

Adjusting Goals

It is critical to communicate to patients that goals are only suggestions. Failure is not the same as missing a goal. Instead, it may suggest that a modification in a patient's treatment plan is required.

Benefits of Music Therapy

Both patients and therapists benefit significantly from music therapy, which is a fun and successful technique. Benefits can be noticed in both individual and group patient sessions. Music therapy is a discipline that is beneficial and effective to people of all ages. It can be used to assist a teenager to manage feelings or to calm a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Even in the elderly, music therapy can help with depression and Parkinson's disease management.

How Music Therapy Works

Some psychological diseases, such as schizophrenia, may have fewer symptoms. Auditory hallucinations can be complex for people with schizophrenia. These can have a cascading effect, resulting in increased anxiety and despair. The frequency and severity of auditory hallucinations can be reduced by music therapy. It can also help to alleviate anxiety and despair at the same time.

Module 3: Music Therapy in Practice

It can be challenging to get started with music therapy from scratch. Music may be unfamiliar to patients and how it might be used to enhance their lives. The therapist's responsibility is to lead them through the initial stages and demonstrate how music therapy can assist them. It is best to start modest and teach things in little steps if patients are unsure.

Assessing Patient Needs

An extensive examination is required to determine the most beneficial program and treatment strategy for patients. Making a choice or judgment about treatment based on particular observations and tests is what assessment includes. Music therapists get to know their clients and decide how the therapy will be delivered throughout the assessment.

Matching Patients to the Music

In music therapy, matching patients to the proper type of music is critical, as it determines how well a patient will respond to the treatment program. Music therapists must be careful not to make assumptions or impose a specific music therapy on their patients.

Music Therapy Theory

Music therapy comprises both active and passive processes that can be used separately or in combination. When the patient participates in the creation of music, it is called active music therapy; when the patient participates in the response or listening to music, it is called passive music therapy.

Module 4: Sound Therapy

Although similar, sound therapy and music therapy are not the same thing. Although they both employ the same technology and rely on the same theory, they are considered different types of therapy.

History of Sound Therapy

Since the time of the Ancient Greeks, sound therapy has been employed as a healing method. Sound therapy refers to the use of sound in various therapies to treat mental and physical ailments.

Types of Sound Therapy

Sound therapy, like music therapy, comes in a variety of genres and variations. These can differ depending on the therapist's preferences, skills, and other variables.

Combining Sound and Music Therapy

Sound therapy, like music therapy, is known for helping people heal and improve their physical, emotional, and behavioural health. Vibrations, frequencies, and sounds are employed in sound therapy to promote healing and health improvements. On the other hand, music therapy is a more recent approach that focuses on the patients' overall well-being rather than their musical abilities.

Holistic Approach

Regardless of the type of therapy, it is a complicated process. With each patient they come into touch with, therapists must be knowledgeable, professional, and intentional. A holistic approach to therapy entails considering all aspects of the patient's life, both internal and external. When a therapist takes a holistic approach to therapy, they treat all elements of their patient's well-being and health with equal intensity and focus, taking care not to overlook any.

The Body and Mind

The human body is made up of many parts that are interconnected. As a result of this dependency, addressing a problem from only one direction may only solve that particular issue. A secondary issue may have arisen as a result of the original issue. As a result, taking a holistic approach to therapy ensures that all interconnected issues and elements are addressed and given the attention they require.

Module 5: Music Therapy Techniques

Music therapy employs a variety of musical instruments. They all have a particular purpose and are used in different ways. Patients may be asked to try a variety of devices or approaches before settling on a preference. Patients will be able to make an informed decision and remain involved as a result of this.

Instruments

One of the most critical instruments in music therapy is the piano. Patients can use nonverbal communication to express their feelings by playing this instrument.

Interventions

Aside from the musical instruments used in music therapy, there are a variety of music therapy interventions. Composition music therapy entails the patient creating music with the support and instruction of their therapist. This could include penning songs or even music, giving the sufferer a sense of accomplishment.

Improvisation

Music therapy improvisation is characterized by spontaneity. It encourages people to be creative and is an excellent nonverbal and social process with significant health advantages. Because it is a flexible rather than a predefined intervention style, improvisation allows patients to become more independent and promotes patient connection.

Individual Therapy

Individual music therapy comprises one-on-one therapy sessions with the patient and their music therapist. The patient's privacy is protected in this type of therapy setting.

Group Therapy

In a social situation, two or more patients and a therapist participate in group music therapy. It invites individuals to communicate and share comparable experiences by using music as a common ground.

Incorporating Patient Feedback

Therapists need to know where their patients are and what they think about individual or group music therapy. It is critical to establish patient preferences in music therapy. This can be accomplished by considering patient comments.

Prompting Feedback

Occasionally, therapists will find that their patients are not responding to the programs they have been assigned.

Module 6: Music Therapy Applications

Music therapy has a wide range of applications, although most people identify it with mental health. It can be applied in various ways, and confining it to mental health is a constraining viewpoint.

Mental Health and Behavioral Adjustment

Music therapy can help people with a variety of mental health issues and behavioural issues. Autism: Autistic persons typically respond favourably to music and seek it out. Music therapy is an excellent way to treat autistic people since it is accessible to people with all levels of handicap. People with autism can benefit from music therapy since it improves their communication and cognitive skills while expressing their emotions and moods.

Physical Health Conditions

There are a variety of physical health issues that can benefit from music therapy. Problems with movement and coordination: Music therapy can aid with fine and gross motor abilities, as well as physical independence, muscle building, and balance.

Specialized Programs

Music therapy is most usually employed to treat certain diseases, despite its many benefits. Music therapists can even specialize in treating a particular ailment or group of people.

Autism

Autism is a developmental disease that affects a person's capacity to communicate and interact with others. Although autism is an incurable disease, it can be managed and treated with therapy and medication.

Parkinson’s

Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition. It is degenerative, which means it becomes worse over time. Communication and speech problems and a lack of motor control are common symptoms of this illness.

Quadriplegia

Quadriplegia is a physical ailment characterized by the inability to utilize all four limbs due to severe spinal cord injury or damage. Quadriplegic patients frequently experience impaired respiratory systems and difficulty projecting their voices as a result of this.

Deafness and Hearing Loss

Music therapy can assist persons who are deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafen Patients who are deaf or hard of hearing can benefit from using rhythm to develop speaking cadences. A music therapist employed visual notes to assist deaf patients to comprehend inflexion in one trial. By using another tool, the therapist could assist patients to feel more at ease before introducing new approaches.

Dementia

Dementia is a condition in which a person's memory and language abilities and ability to speak and communicate effectively are affected. Many areas of the brain are affected by music, including those that control memory.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is frequently linked to abnormal brain development before birth. Movement, muscle development, and body posture are all affected. This disorder can range in severity from minor to severe. Music therapy, regardless of the stage, can aid in the treatment and management of cerebral palsy.

Music Therapy Settings

Music therapy is utilized in a variety of settings to help people. Children at educational facilities come from various backgrounds and have various communication and learning challenges that music therapy can help cure and correct. Autism, cerebral palsy, and learning challenges are just a few of the significant issues and conditions children confront. Music therapy can help with all of these issues.

Module 7: Music Therapy Research

Music therapy and everything that it encompasses has been the subject of much research. Music therapy has been demonstrated to be valuable and beneficial to receiving patients, allowing it to become an evidence-based acceptable therapy method.

Negative Effects

The effects of music therapy on patients might be favourable or detrimental. There are a variety of reasons why the effects of music therapy vary depending on the individual.

Anxiety

While music therapy is known to assist most people to reduce anxiety, it can sometimes have the reverse effect and cause an increase instead. If a music therapist chooses improper music, it might cause the patient's condition to deteriorate and negatively influence.

Stimulation

Although music therapy is intended to be uplifting and valuable, sensory overload can occur. Music can be overly loud at times, or the instruments utilized are too powerful.

Triggers

Patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease benefit from music therapy. Incompatible music might elicit irritability or bad feelings. Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can be strongly triggered and severely influenced by music, sounds, or lyrics, which might provoke them to relive incredibly terrible events. This causes them to regress in their music therapy.

Positive Effects

On the other hand, music therapy can positively impact patients and aid their general health and well-being. A single negative experience does not rule out the possibility of music therapy benefiting a particular patient.

Physical Development

Music has a positive effect on the human body. Music therapy can improve physical skills such as fine and gross motor skills by incorporating instruments or dancing. As a result, music therapy has a significant influence since it aids patients while also providing fun, engaging, and exciting work.

Holistic Impact

Music therapy can alter several physiological systems simultaneously due to how human brains respond to music and sound. So many regions of the brain are stimulated by music. Autistic patients, for example, can benefit from the same type of therapy in terms of speech and motor skills.

Mood

Patients benefit from music therapy because it raises their excitement and improves their mood. Patients benefit from music therapy because it creates a pleasant and relaxing environment in which to connect. When music is incorporated, tasks become considerably more engaging. As a result, patients are more likely to be enthusiastic.

Music and the Human Brain

Music has a variety of effects on the brain. Music stimulates our brain in many ways, with different forms of music creating distinct stimulations. At the same time, music affects distinct portions of the human brain in diverse ways. Blood pressure and pulse rate are likely to reduce when the hypothalamus is stimulated by music.

Research

Music therapy is a relatively new field of study, and while it is gaining popularity in terms of awareness, participation, and application, there are still many unanswered questions. The advantages of music therapy are undeniable. However, there is still potential for more in-depth investigation in several areas.

Module 8: Case Studies and Statistics

Various cases demonstrate the positive effects that music therapy can have on a variety of people. Each instance adds to the body of knowledge about music therapy by highlighting different discoveries and factors that therapists should keep in mind while working with patients.

Case Study 1: Dementia

In 2014, eighty-nine dementia patients were studied in a case study. Patients were divided into three groups for ten weeks: listening to music, singing, and receiving standard treatment. The groups who listened to music and sang exhibited a positive change in their mood compared to the control group who received standard care. They improved their memory as well.

Key Learnings

Listening to music or singing was beneficial to the patients. This demonstrates the adaptability of music therapy. Patients do not have to do the same type of music therapy to reap the same advantages. Although listening to music is more passive than singing, those patients reported improved mood and memory.

Case Study 2: Down Syndrome

A case study of a one-year-old boy with Down syndrome was carried out in 2018. This tiny kid had trouble with communication, vocalization, and following instructions. Significant changes were observed after only a few weeks of therapy sessions. He could play musical instruments and follow directions. His ability to communicate improved as well.

Key Learnings

Because of music and the introduction of instruments, this little youngster was able to improve. This demonstrates how refocusing youngsters with Down syndrome can alter their work approach.

Case Study 3: Multiple Conditions

The patient's particular mix of factors can complicate many music therapy treatments. An instance of a girl with Down syndrome who was also deaf, blind, and autistic was reported in 2019. She found immense sensory delight in hurling stuff and pushing large objects over in her quest to communicate and make sense of her reality. Her music therapist attempted to replace one sensory need with another because the hazards of this could not be presented to her.

Key Learnings

The advantages of music therapy take time to manifest. It may take some time for them to reveal their worth. If the therapist had quit up as soon as the small girl tossed the instruments, the patient would not have had the opportunity to form good connections.

Case Study 4: Communication

A little child with hidden communication and speech difficulties was the subject of another case study in 2019, which demonstrated the benefits of music therapy. In communicating, the boy used memorized words and statements to significant effect.

Key Learnings

This young youngster was moved by music as a therapeutic tool. In the speech, the therapist understood the importance of rhythm and cadence.

Case Study 5: Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a type of pain that occurs regularly and can afflict persons who have long-term illnesses. The impact of music therapy on endometriosis and chronic pain patients was investigated in a case study. The patient participated in several sessions that included vocalizations, instrument playing, and music listening.

Key Learnings

Although other factors may have influenced these results, it is evident that music therapy helped to reduce pain and other undesirable impacts. Throughout several sessions, the patient was allowed to try out several types of music therapy.

Music Therapy Statistics

Music therapy is a new field that is rapidly growing in popularity. Aspiring therapists are becoming increasingly interested in music therapy.

Music and General Wellness

Although music therapy should always be done in a professional environment with a certified music therapist, music has long been known to help people feel better in other situations. Researchers agree that music can influence people in their everyday lives.

Module 9: Course Review

We have covered a wide range of topics, statistics, and intriguing facts regarding the rapidly growing area of music therapy during this course. However, there are a few critical considerations that all prospective music therapy students should keep in mind.      

Recognition & Accreditation

Upon successful completion of this course and achieving a passing score for the assessment, you will become a qualified Music Therapist. You will also be issued with an international continuing education credit (CEU) certificate, accepted by many Music Therapy organizations worldwide.

The Certificate is applicable worldwide, which demonstrates your commitment to learning new skills. You can share the certificate with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and potential employers. Also, include it in your resume/CV, professional social media profiles and job applications.