Music Therapist

Music Therapists use music to help people understand and process the feelings they cannot put into words.

You will build relationships and trust with people, using a wide range of instruments including their voice, to create music that is often improvised. Using music therapy in this way, people can create their own musical language in which to explore, connect and express themselves. Music therapy can be particularly helpful when emotions are too confusing to express verbally. This could be because of communication difficulty or when words are too much or not enough.

Music Therapist is also known as Creative Therapy.

Role Characteristics

Engage in music therapy sessions by playing, singing and listening
Encourage people to use a range of accessible musical instruments, such as percussion and their own voice to express themselves
Agree therapy objectives with people under your care
Help people explore sound to create and express themselves as they need
Review therapy sessions to monitor their effectiveness and help people reflect
Work with other health and care professionals

Skills

Active listening
Creative thinking
Empathy
Goal-setting
Observation
Record keeping

Day in the life

Find out more about a career in Music Therapy.

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC

A-Levels

Undergraduate degree

Degree apprenticeship

Postgraduate degree

How to become

There are many routes into Music Therapy; these include university, volunteering and work experience.

You will normally need 5 GCSEs including English, maths and sciences, or equivalent and either A-Levels, BTEC or T-Levels depending on your preference in learning.

You will normally need an undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Music or Music Therapy. Volunteering and work experience is valued by employers.

It is important to check your preferred course provider's entry requirements for guidance.

To practice as a Music Therapist, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

Where can this role lead

No matter what role you start in or where you are in your career path, there are always opportunities to develop and progress in health and care.

As you gain experience, you may choose to specialise in one particular area, such as mental health, dementia, palliative care or child development, or work in two or three areas of interest.

Other opportunities for career progression include Day Centre Manager or managing other therapy specialisms. This usually involves taking on additional supervisory and management responsibilities.