Yes! Music therapy is an evidence-based allied health profession, and is a member of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Although everyone will respond differently, music therapy has been found to make a real difference for people experiencing a range of difficulties from many backgrounds. Read more about what music therapy can do here. https://www.austmta.org.​

Research has shown that music therapy can help people in many ways:

Music therapy improves mental health and wellbeing

Research has shown that music therapy can improve mental health and wellbeing. It can help:

• Reduce anxiety or stress
• Regulate moods and energy levels
• Increase motivation
• Manage anger and frustration
• Manage challenging behaviour.
   

Music therapy improves speech, communication and social skills

Research has shown that music therapy can improve speech, communication and social skills. It can help:

• Improve verbal and non-verbal communication
• Improve physical speech function
• Increase social communication skills
• Increase social interaction
• Increase independence
• Give positive and new ways to deal with situations.
   

Music therapy improves body movement, coordination and physical function

Research has shown that music therapy can improve body movement, coordination and physical function. It can help:

• Improve gross motor function and control
• Gross motor skills are the larger movements you make with your arms legs, feet, or entire body.
• Improve fine motor function and control
• Fine motor skills are the smaller movements you make using your wrists, hands, fingers, feet and toes.
• Improve balance
• Increase physical independence
• Help regulate heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure
• Improve respiratory muscle strength and control
• Improve sleep.
   

Music therapy improves memory, attention and cognitive function

Research has shown that music therapy can improve memory, attention and cognitive function. It can help:

• Increase core executive functions: self-awareness, inhibition, non-verbal and verbal working memory, emotional self-regulation, self-motivation, planning and problem solving
• Increase memory and attention.
   

Music therapy improves pain management

Research has shown that music therapy can improve the body’s ability to deal with pain. It can help:

• Reduce pain perception by increasing the body’s production of natural pain killers.

Support faster recovery from medical procedures.

Music therapy can help support people of any age who might be experiencing challenges (including mental, intellectual, physical, emotional or social) or wishing to improve their well-being.

Music therapy is often used to address a wide range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, behaviour, communication and movement including:

• Autism
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders
• Physical disabilities
• Dementia
• Stroke
• Spinal cord injury
• Neurodegenerative conditions.
   

Music therapy can also be used in hospitals and health care centres to help patients deal with stress, discomfort and pain. It is used to help patients who have:

• Cancer and diseases of the blood and bone marrow
• Advanced diseases that have little or no chance of cure or recovery
• Experienced a stroke or brain injury
• Mental health illnesses
• Had surgery or other medical procedures.
   

Where is music therapy used?

Music therapy is used in many settings such as:

• Hospitals
• Schools
• Residential aged care homes
• Palliative care facilities
• Disability care facilities
• Community health programs
• Child care centres
• Prisons and detention centres

Private practice.