By Olivia Harrington, M.M., MT-BC
Telehealth music therapy was a foreign concept to me in the beginning of my internship in 2023 because I did not know that after the pandemic there were still telehealth clients. I was pleasantly surprised at how I could provide music therapy services to clients who could not make it in the office or were in a different city than me! As of right now, virtual music therapy sessions are the only sessions I provide. My clients are thriving in the virtual setting and it allows me more time to be fully present in my sessions.
What you need to participate in telehealth music therapy:
First, you will need a working device which can be a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or a phone. In addition, you will need to have reliable internet to ensure that the session goes smoothly. Finally, you will need a working microphone, most devices have a great microphone already built-in to them. However, if you want to purchase a microphone or headphones, that is up to you.
Some local resources like the library, school, or office you go to might have device rentals to use towards your music therapy sessions. Motive Music Therapy highly recommends sitting in a quiet / private space to limit distractions and ensure privacy / confidentiality.
Your music therapist will send you a link to your music therapy session via a HIPAA-compliant video platform like Zoom Pro or Google Meet. You may want to click the link prior to the session to make sure there are no surprise updates or downloads within the platform.
If you need extra support during music therapy, we welcome any and all caregivers and support staff to jump in to music therapy too! These support people can help with holding instruments, adjusting the camera angle, and providing assistance to you during music therapy. Most music therapists are comfortable communicating with the support staff / caregivers to direct them throughout the session. For example, a music therapist might say “Ms. Smith, can you move Sally’s camera to the left so I can see her face more clearly?” We are there to support you and provide autonomy, so if you do not want the music therapist to direct the support staff let them know!
What activities might happen in telehealth music therapy:
Music Therapists aim to foster a typical music therapy environment in a virtual form, so the sessions will look very similar to in-person sessions. You might see your music therapist playing live and patient-preferred music on the guitar, ukulele, or piano and encouraging the client to participate. Participation can look different for every client depending on their goals but some examples include: body percussion, affirmation drumming, singing along, active listening, receptive listening, and playing instruments. Some interventions that music therapists like to use during telehealth music therapy sessions include: audio recordings, song writing, music composition, and music games.
While in-person and virtual music therapy sessions are different in obvious ways, there are a ton of benefits to virtual music therapy sessions. These benefits include reaching more clients than ever before, providing unique opportunities of participation, and including everyone in the joy of music therapy. Telehealth music therapy increases accessibility of music therapy to people in many different areas of the state and beyond.
If telehealth music therapy seems like the right fit for you, contact Motive Music Therapy today!
Motive Music Therapy, LLC
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