Canadian Association of Music Therapists
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The Canadian Association of Music Therapists is the national body promoting music therapy and supporting, advocating and certifying professional music therapists (MTAs) in Canada. We strive to be the primary source of knowledge, information, professional development and advocacy to promote Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) and music therapy.
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
Reflections on creating a music therapy program for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
In a recent episode of the Canadian Music Therapy Podcast, Canadian music therapist and registered psychotherapist, Jill Hedican, shares reflections on her experience developing a music therapy program specifically designed for individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Hedican describes the unique multi-disciplinary work she engages in, collaborating with other mental health professionals to support clients in the intensive treat ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
A look into the use of music therapy in the treatment of Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness PDOC
What is the role of music therapy in the treatment of Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness (PDOC)? According to music therapists from the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in the United Kingdom who work with patients with PDOC, the role of music therapy is both multi-faceted and individualized to the client’s needs when working with patients with PDOC. While describing their music therapy assessment and intervention process, the music therapists note how they use music therapy for ongoing asse ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
Music therapy to support wellbeing and create legacy projects in end-of-life care.
“It makes you feel happy,” is how one patient describes his experience participating in music therapy at Carilion Clinic Hospice in Virginia, USA. At the Carilion Clinic, as in other settings where music therapists provide services to individuals facing end-of-life, music therapy provides patients and their loved ones with a sense of connection and joy that is often hard to find in their final days. Making music and listening to music together brings back memories for reminiscence while creating new memories th ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
Exploring emotions and social connection in group music therapy for individuals with eating disorders.
For individuals with eating disorders, a primary symptom is difficulty with emotion regulation. Can music therapy help improve emotion regulation in individuals with eating disorders? This is a question Canadian music therapists and researchers sought to answer in their study, “The Impact of Group Music Therapy for Individuals with Eating Disorders.”
In this study, 21 individuals with an eating disorder participated in weekly music therapy sessions for four weeks at an inpatient treatment ce ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
A Canadian music therapist’s reflection on how to cope with personal trauma while working as a music therapist
“Most people will experience a trauma of some kind at some point in their lives” states Canadian music therapist Heidi Flynn. No one is immune to experiencing trauma, including music therapists. But how does a music therapist work safely and effectively with their clients while trying to cope with their own trauma? This question serves as the basis for Flynn’s presentation at the World Congress of Music Therapy 2023. For those unable to attend the conference, or hoping for a refreshe ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
Insights from a case study on music therapy for an individual with complex post-traumatic stress disorder
What do you turn to when you are burdened by your trauma but talking seems “pointless”? For Ali, a psychiatric hospital patient living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the answer is music. Through having the freedom to improvise, create his own music, and express himself through music, Ali could share his feelings and story of his relational trauma without words. Creating music with his music therapist, Ali experienced comfort and increased abilities to conn ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
2M ago
Key takeaways from recent research into the benefits of music therapy for refugees
In the article “How Music Therapy Can Help Rebuild the Lives of Refugees,” music therapist, Elizabeth Coombes reflects on the value of music therapy as a form of psychosocial support for refugees recovering from the trauma associated with fleeing their homeland as refugees. Based on her research working with refugees from Pakistan, Syria, Albania, and Egypt, she shares the emotional, mental, and social difficulties refugees face because of their traumatic experiences and how music therapy offers hope and ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
6M ago
A research report on the process of music therapy as an alternative non-pharmacological treatment for children with selective mutism
Though selective mutism has a low prevalence, it can be debilitating for children and contribute to poor mental health outcomes for years to come. Common forms of treatment include Behaviour and Speech Therapy, as well as pharmacological interventions. Currently, clinicians and researchers are exploring music therapy as another form of treatment for selective mutism. The unique ways music therapy offers parallel musical, emotional, and physical means of communic ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
6M ago
Exploring growth in music therapy for infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Canada and new research on music therapy as care for infants and their families
For infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Grand River Hospital (GRH) in Kitchener, Ontario, change is in the air; they can hear it. Certified Music Therapist (MTA) Tyler Reidy, recently initiated a NICU music therapy program at the GRH, making it the third NICU music therapy program in Ontario. Reidy works with the infants to increase their relaxation and improve their sucking ability which is essential for the in ..read more
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
6M ago
A music therapist’s reflections on the relevance of music therapy as an essential service in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic
For many, the COVID-19 pandemic was a time for reflection as individuals, workforces, and society. It is through these reflections and active responses we grow as people, workplaces, and society. In a recently published article for the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, Certified Music Therapist (MTA) Taylor Kurta, exemplifies the value of reflection as she openly shares her experiences of being a music therapist during the COVID-19 pandemic, while being separated f ..read more