Background: Music Therapy fosters self expression, increases self awareness and insight, decreases anxiety levels, elevates mood, and increases motivation. This presentation offers experiential learning opportunities for clinicians, insight into current music therapy research and practices, and demonstrates why music therapy is an essential component to treatment for your facility or practice.
Content Outline
- Introductions: The Music Therapy Way
- “Who Are You Really” Song Lyric Analysis and Songwriting
- A traditional Music Therapy intervention with a twist
- What is Music Therapy?
- The clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship
- Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals
- Qualifications for a Board Certified Music Therapist
- Minimum of bachelors degree from an approved music therapy program.
- Minimum 1200 clinical internship
- National Certification
- Benefits of Music Therapy Services versus Therapeutic Music Activities
- Research demonstrates techniques are most effective if preferred music genre is determined by participant
- Live music has shown to be more beneficial than recorded music
- Adaptation and therapeutic adjustments can be made by a Board Certified Music Therapist
- Music Assessment for each individual client, even within the group setting. Music can provoke intense emotional responses, especially when a specific memory (perhaps traumatic) is associated with a selected song.
- Current Music Therapy Research and Theoretical Approaches with Eating Disorders
- Research directly associated with eating disorders
- Researched music therapy interventions transferrable to the eating disorder population
- Existing need for research opportunities at treatment facilities
- Various treatment approaches music therapists utilize
- Experiential Learning Opportunities for Various Music Therapy Interventions
- Song Lyric Analysis & Song Writing
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Iso-Principle and Active Listening
- Improvisation
- Drumming
- Instruction on Preferred Instrument
- Collaboration with Other Disciplines
- Music Therapy and Art Therapy
- Music Therapy and Equine Therapy
- Music Therapy and Spirituality
- Music Therapy Treatment Goals for Various Levels of Care
- Increase Motivation
- Foster Self Expression
- Increase Quality of Life
- Increase Self Esteem & Self Awareness
- Address Body Image Goals
- Meal Support
- Decrease Anxiety
- Manage Anger
- Develop Healthy Coping Skills
- Manage Stress Appropriately
- Express Feelings
- Increase Positive Socialization
- Build Faith
- Elevate Mood
- Improve and/or Build Relationships
- Develop Enjoyable Hobbies
- Develop Appropriate Socialization Skills
- Continued Education, Training, and Supervision for Music Therapists working with Eating Disorders
- Certified Eating Disorder Creative Arts Therapist (CEDCAT) designation is now available
- Question/Answers
- "Hit The Road ED" Closing Activity
Music Therapy as a therapeutic intervention for the treatment of eating disorders is becoming more and more of an integral part of the interdisciplinary team at numerous centers offering various levels of care. Research has demonstrated that music therapy interventions can foster self expression, increase self awareness and insight, decrease anxiety levels, elevate mood, and increase motivation in clients who are struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder. In addition, a study specifically regarding the use of Cognitive Behavioral Music Therapy (CBMT) techniques was coducted at a residential treatment facility and suggested that CBMT can help clients identify and combat cognitive distortions, modify behaviors, and identify underlying issues that may have contributed to the onset of the disorder.
Treatment centers and insurance providers are becoming more intrigued and receptive to music therapy practices; advances are evident through recognition by the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). In 2014, iaedp created a new designation; the Certified Eating Disorder Creative Arts Therapist (CEDCAT) credential is now available for creative arts therapists (CATs). The CATS, including music therapy, are becoming more and more valued by clients throughout their recovery process and the benefits are being recognized by eating disorder professionals from other disciplines.
Music Therapy services are offered at all levels of care. The music therapist is trained, as any other eating disorder professional, to adapt interventions specifically for the individual client based on their physiological and psychological strengths and needs, values, religious beliefs, and morals. Treatment options include, but are not limited to: individual sessions, family sessions, therapeutic group sessions, educational groups, support groups for family and friends, and community wellness groups. Additionally, services can be delivered in any type of treatment setting.
This presentation offers experiential learning opportunities for clinicians, insight into current music therapy research and practices, and demonstrates why music therapy is an essential component to treatment for your facility or practice. Music Therapy goals at various levels of care will be discussed.
Danielle Shelton, M.M., MT-BC, CEDCAT, is the owner of Better Living Solutions, LLC in Tallahassee, Florida. She currently provides intensive outpatient services for clients who struggle with eating disorders, body image disturbances, and unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. She previously served as the Clinical Director and Music Therapist at Canopy Cove's Eating Disorder Center in Northwest Florida from 2006-2012. Ms. Shelton was the 1st Board Certified Music Therapist to be recognized by iaedp as a Certified Eating Disorder Creative Arts Therapist and she currently serves on the ieadp Certification Committee.
