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“The Music Therapy Handbook could serve a number of different functions: (1) as a textbook used in a number of different courses in an undergraduate music therapy training program; (2) as a resource for clinical music therapists who are seeking more current, cutting-edge material on a particular topic or clinical approach; (3) as a supplementary text for music therapy academicians in order to add meaningful content to music therapy lectures; and (4) as a pertinent resource for music therapy researchers to provide scholarly information and additional salient references….One unique characteristic of this book is that most of the chapters in Sections II and III contain case examples that are based on music therapy practice with real clients. In addition, the content of each chapter follows a similar organizational outline, to provide for easier reading across chapters….With the publication of the Music Therapy Handbook, the music therapy profession may be moving away from introductory-level textbooks and into more comprehensive texts that can serve a multiplicity of purposes in music therapy training and practice….This reviewer highly recommends the incorporation of the Music Therapy Handbook into current music therapy education, and predicts that it will become one of the foundational texts in music therapy training in the near future.”

—Journal of Music Therapy


“This book is, without a doubt, a must for any library as it is a vital resource for anyone interested in music therapy. Barbara Wheeler has, yet again, provided a book full of key issues that are currently occupying the field of music therapy. It is a thorough and very methodically constructed handbook….I would like to thank Barbara Wheeler for providing the music therapy community with a fine handbook. While there are many new books on music therapy, I think this comprehensive guide gathers an excellent variety of ideas and approaches in one volume and fits very well alongside the growing music therapy literature….A rich and well-constructed book.”

—British Journal of Music Therapy


“The structure of the book, as it ranges from basic, broad information to specific clinical practice settings, lends itself well to use by students and professional music therapists, as well as non-music therapists with whom clinicians and researchers collaborate. Physicians, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, OTs and PTs, and other allied healthcare professionals may find the text particularly helpful. All of the chapters on specific clinical applications would make excellent resources for clinicians, educators, students, and researchers, and they could also be helpful information sources for non-music therapist stakeholders, including potential reimbursement agencies. I highly recommend this book for current students, individuals studying for the board certification exam, professional clinicians, and clinical and academic researchers needing a resource to share with non-music therapists.”

—Music and Medicine


“The central highlight of this book is its applicability to a wide audience of readers….The book is equally compelling to music therapists through its contributions from international experts in their field and the discussion of contemporary issues confronting their profession….Wheeler’s inclusion of both traditional and contemporary perspective of music therapy adds to the book’s wide appeal….Wheeler’s Music Therapy Handbookis a dynamic, easy to read, comprehensive resource of contemporary music therapy theory and practice that offers an enormous contribution to music therapy. Its simplicity and applicability makes it an essential ready reference for students, health care workers, educators, and experienced music therapists alike.”

—Australian Journal of Music Therapy


“Covers some of the richest topics and issues of our profession, and does so with great depth and scope. The volume embraces research, assessment, clinical applications, history, ethics, and diversity. It paints a portrait of the full array of music therapy approaches while covering the age spectrum of children to adults. Nothing is lacking. This is a dynamic, instructive, inspiring tool for anyone seeking insights and wisdom from leading music therapists. It is a powerful resource that should be kept close at hand.”

—Deforia Lane, PhD, MT-BC, Director of Art and Music Therapy, Seidman Cancer Center/University Hospitals Case Medical Center


“The most comprehensive work of its kind that I have seen. Synthesizing evidence-based approaches into a single volume helps to move music therapy beyond the untested and unproven and establish professional legitimacy and efficacy. Practitioners and educators get a clear view of the best therapeutic strategies for helping clients in the search for healing and wholeness.”

—Terry L. Singer, PhD, Dean, Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville


“Wheeler’s Music Therapy Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of approaches to music therapy practice, covering a wide range of models that have influenced the profession. Numerous case vignettes throughout bring the material to life, offering the reader a vicarious taste of the breadth of practice, settings, and populations with whom music therapists work. Music therapy professionals and students will appreciate the accessibly written perspectives on theory and practice. For those in multidisciplinary practice, it will serve as a reference to help to determine what music therapy might bring to their health, education, or medical program.”

—Wendy Magee, PhD, Music Therapy Program, Temple University


“This welcome volume stands out because of its breadth of coverage and applicability. The choice of topics and their scholarly treatment will engage readers, whether they are novices to music therapy or very experienced. It will also be useful to professors and students at both graduate and undergraduate levels.”

—Robyn Flaum Cruz, PhD, BC-DMT, Division of Expressive Therapies, Lesley University


“Simply put, this is the most comprehensive text to date in our field. I am currently using portions of it in every undergraduate course I teach, and in some graduate courses as well. The contributors are an international 'who’s who' in music therapy, and the comprehensive references in each chapter serve as great bibliographies for anyone looking to do further research. I have no reservations about using this book in classes and recommending it as a reference to students preparing for internships, their board certification exam, or their future clinical careers.”

—Andrew Knight, PhD, MT-BC, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, Colorado State University

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Table of Contents

I. Overview and Issues

1. Overview of Music Therapy as a Profession, Barbara L. Wheeler

2. A History of Music Therapy, William Davis & Susan Hadley

3. Aesthetic Foundations of Music Therapy: Music and Emotion, James Hiller

4. Music Therapy and the Brain, Concetta M. Tomaino

5. Music Therapy and Cultural Diversity, Seung-A Kim & Annette Whitehead-Pleaux

6. Ethics in Music Therapy, Debbie Bates

7. Music Therapy Assessment, Anne W. Lipe

8. Music Therapy Research, Debra S. Burns & Anthony Meadows

9. Evidence-Based Practice in Music Therapy, Felicity A. Baker

10. Music Therapy Methods, Susan Gardstrom & Suzanne Sorel

II. Orientations and Approaches

11. Psychodynamic Approaches, Connie Isenberg

12. Humanistic Approaches, Brian Abrams

13. Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches, Suzanne Hanser

14. Developmental Approaches, Cynthia A. Briggs

15. Nordoff–Robbins Music Therapy, Nina Guerrero, David Marcus, & Alan Turry

16. The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, Madelaine Ventre & Cathy H. McKinney

17. Analytical Music Therapy, Benedikte B. Scheiby

18. Neurologic Music Therapy, Corene P. Hurt-Thaut & Sarah B. Johnson

19. Community Music Therapy, Brynjulf Stige

20. Music Therapy in Expressive Arts, Margareta Wärja

III. Clinical Applications

A. Music Therapy for Children and Adolescents

21. Music Therapy for Developmental Issues in Early Childhood, Marcia Humpal

22. Music Therapy for Children with Intellectual Disabilities, Beth McLaughlin & Ruthlee Figlure Adler

23. Music Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, John A. Carpente & A. Blythe LaGasse

24. Music Therapy for Children with Speech and Language Disorders, Kathleen M. Howland

25. Music Therapy for Children with Sensory Deficits, Greta E. Gillmeister & Paige Elwafi

26. Music Therapy in the Schools, Katrina Skewes McFerran

B. Music Therapy for Adults

27. Music Therapy for Adults with Mental Illness, Gillian Stephens Langdon

28. Music Therapy in Addictions Treatment, Kathleen M. Murphy

29. Music Therapy for Older Adults, Hanne Mette Ridder & Barbara L. Wheeler

30. Music Therapy for Women Survivors of Domestic Violence, Elizabeth York & Sandra L. Curtis

31. Music Therapy for Survivors of Traumatic Events, Ronald M. Borczon

32. Music Therapy for Grief and Loss, Robert E. Krout

C. Medical Music Therapy

33. Music Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Helen Shoemark & Deanna Hanson-Abromeit

34. Medical Music Therapy for Children, Joanne Loewy

35. Medical Music Therapy for Adults, Carol Shultis & Lisa Gallagher

36. Music Therapy for Adults with Traumatic Brain Injury and Other Neurological Disorders, Jeanette Tamplin

37. Music Therapy at the End of Life, Clare O’Callaghan, Lucy Forrest, & Yun Wen

Author Index

Subject Index

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About the Editor

Barbara L. Wheeler, PhD, MT-BC, is Professor Emerita at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where she taught from 1975 to 2000. Dr. Wheeler initiated the music therapy program at the University of Louisville in 2000, retiring in 2011. She presents and teaches in the United States and internationally, with current faculty appointments at the Department of Social Studies, University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Würzburg, Germany; and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Katowice, Poland. She has been an active clinician throughout her career, working with diverse clientele. Dr. Wheeler has edited and authored several chapters, articles, and books, including Music Therapy Research? (now in its third edition), and Clinical Training Guide for the Student Music Therapist. She is a past president of the American Music Therapy Association and former Interview Coeditor for Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy.

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Contributors

Brian Abrams, PhD, John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University in New Jersey, Montclair, NJ

Ruthlee Figlure Adler, BS, Private Practice, Bethesda, Maryland,

Felicity A. Baker, PhD, Centre for Music, Mind, and Wellbeing, University of Melbourne, Australia

Debbie Bates, MMT, MT-BC, Arts and Medicine Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Ronald M. Borczon, MT-BC, Music Therapy, California State University, Northridge

Cynthia A. Briggs, PsyD, Music Therapy Program, Maryville University, St. Louis

Debra S. Burns, PhD, Department of Music and Arts Technology, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University–Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN

John A. Carpente, PhD, Associate Professor of Music Therapy, Molloy College, Rockville Centre, NY

Sandra L. Curtis, PhD, Graduate Music Therapy Program, Concordia University, Montreal

William Davis, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Paige A. Robbins Elwafi, MMT, Private Practice, Cincinnati, OH

Lucy Forrest, MMus (Ethno), BMus (Therapy), Mercy Palliative Care, Melbourne, Australia

Lisa Gallagher, MA, Arts and Medicine Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Susan Gardstrom, PhD, Music Therapy, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH

Greta E. Gillmeister, MT-BC, Private Practice, Louisville, KY

Nina Guerrero, MA, Queen’s Medical Center, Honolulu, HI

Susan Hadley, PhD, Music Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA

Suzanne Hanser, EdD, Music Therapy Department, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, PhD, School of Music, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

James Hiller, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH

Kathleen M. Howland, PhD, Music Therapy Department, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

Marcia Humpal, MEd, Private Practice, Cleveland, OH

Corene P. Hurt-Thaut, PhD, Center for Biomedical Research in Music, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Connie Isenberg, PhD, Music Therapy, University of Québec, Montreal

Sarah B. Johnson, MM, MT-BC, University Colorado Health Systems, Fort Collins, CO

Seung-A Kim, PhD, Associate Professor of Music Therapy, Molloy College, Rockville Centre, NY

Robert E. Krout, EdD, Music Therapy Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX

A. Blythe LaGasse, PhD, Music Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Gillian Stephens Langdon, MA, Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx, NY

Anne W. Lipe, PhD, Music Therapy, Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA

Joanne Loewy, DA, Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY

David Marcus, MMus, Creative Music Therapy Studio, New York, NY

Katrina Skewes McFerran, PhD, Music Therapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Cathy H. McKinney, PhD, Music Therapy, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Beth McLaughlin, MSE, Music Therapy Services, Wildwood School, Schenectady, NY

Anthony Meadows, PhD, Graduate Music Therapy Program, Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA

Kathleen M. Murphy, PhD, Music Therapy, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN

Clare O’Callaghan, PhD, Caritas Christi Hospice, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Hanne Mette Ridder, PhD, Music Therapy, Aalborg University, Denmark

Benedikte B. Scheiby, MA, Music Therapy Graduate Program, New York University, New York, NY

Helen Shoemark, PhD, RMT, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia

Carol Shultis, PhD, Music Therapy, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC

Suzanne Sorel, DA, Graduate Music Therapy, Molloy College, Rockville Centre, NY

Brynjulf Stige, PhD, Music Therapy and Head of Research, The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, Bergen, Norway

Jeanette Tamplin, PhD, Music Therapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Concetta M. Tomaino, DA, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, CenterLight Health System, Bronx, NY

Alan Turry, DA, Nordoff–Robbins Center for Music Therapy, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY

Madelaine Ventre, MS, Private Practice, Forestburgh, NY

Margareta Wärja, MA, Graduate Music Therapy Program, Royal College of Music, Stockholm, Sweden

Yun Wen, MA, Chinese Community Social Services Centre, Victoria, Australia

Barbara L. Wheeler, PhD, Music Department (Emerita), Montclair State University, Montclaire, NJ

Annette Whitehead-Pleaux, MA, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA

Elizabeth York, PhD, Department of Music Education and Music Therapy, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC

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Audience

Music, movement, art, and play therapists; clinical psychologists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatrists, including those working or consulting in health care settings; nurses; graduate students in these fields.

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Course Use

May serve as a text in music therapy courses or as a supplement in courses on expressive therapies.