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Learn more about music therapy
Music therapy is a clinical discipline in which a trained therapist uses music, including improvisation, listening, songwriting, and rhythmic activities, to support psychological, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing. It is practised by regulated professionals with specialist training. No musical ability is required from the client.
Music therapy is distinct from music education or recreational music-making. The focus is on the therapeutic relationship and the process of engaging with sound, not on musical performance or skill. It is used in clinical, educational, and community settings across Europe and internationally.
In music therapy, the therapist designs sessions around the client's needs and communication style. Music becomes the primary medium through which the therapeutic work happens.
Sessions may involve:
- Improvisation: creating music together without a fixed plan, allowing feeling to guide the sound
- Receptive listening: responding to music chosen by the therapist to evoke or process emotion
- Songwriting: using lyrics and melody to explore personal experience or give form to difficult feelings
- Rhythmic work: using percussion and movement to support regulation and engagement
- Verbal reflection: discussing what the music brought up, where talking feels accessible
Music therapy has a broad clinical evidence base. It is most established in the following areas.
Depression
Depression is one of the most researched applications of music therapy. Active music-making can engage emotional and neurological processes that are difficult to access through talking alone, particularly in people whose depression involves emotional numbness or withdrawal.
Autism
Music therapy is widely used with autistic clients to support communication, social engagement, and emotional regulation. The non-verbal and structured nature of musical interaction can provide a predictable, enjoyable context for connection that verbal approaches sometimes cannot.
Adolescents
Teenagers often find direct emotional disclosure uncomfortable. Music therapy provides a less confrontational space in which difficult feelings can be expressed and explored. It is used in schools, youth services, and clinical settings with young people navigating mental health difficulties, trauma, and identity.
Dementia
Music therapy has strong evidence in dementia care. Musical memory is often preserved even when other memory systems are significantly impaired, and music can support emotional regulation, reduce agitation, and improve quality of life and connection for people at various stages of dementia.
Choosing an approach isn't something you have to do alone. IC's matching can pair you with a therapist whose approach suits your situation. Get matched
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions across the globe.
Finding a qualified music therapist with experience in your specific area of need requires a more targeted search than most directories allow. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a music therapist, or browse all music therapists in the directory.
