Texas Celebrates Music Therapy Day

Today is Texas Music Therapy Day in order to educate Congressional members on the effectiveness of music therapy with hopes to gain state licensure. This will allow for more credibility with insurance companies so that our services can be reimbursable, and families will not have to pay out of pocket.

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

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. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients' abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas such as: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people's motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for expression of feelings.  (From the American Music Therapy Association)

Music Therapy helps in the following areas:

Who Music Therapy helps:

1. Work with Congresswoman Giffords to regain her speech after surviving a bullet wound to her brain.
2.  older adults to lessen the effects of dementia.
3.  children and adults to reduce asthma episodes.
4. hospitalized patients to reduce pain.
5. children who have autism to improve communication capabilities.
6.  premature infants to improve sleep patterns and increase weight gain.
7.  people who have Parkinson’s disease to improve motor function

Luckily for us we have a music therapist right here in the Permian Basin. Kayla Minchew.She works with children with Autism and other developmental disabilities She sees clients one on one and in group settings in the office. Also has contracts with local schools to provide group music therapy

She is also director of Spectrum of Solutions.

Some of the things that are included in her therapy are: I use singing, drumming, musical games, relaxation techniques, drumming, song writing and instrument playing to help with communication, emotional expression and identification, educational goals (such as math or reading), coping skills, social skills, sensory integration, and relaxation.

For More Info:

Kminchew@marctexas.org

432-695-9913