This one-stop practical book guides you to run a wide range of music therapy groups with pre-school and primary aged children with additional needs. Gain understanding on how to adapt and improvise to ensure that the group meets the individual child's needs, from simple tweaks - such as selecting easier to use instruments and adjusting table heights - to improvising on a single line instrument while dancing around the room. This book includes specific guidance on how to structure sessions to cater for children with neurodivergent needs, physical and learning disabilities, and those receiving psychiatric support, with tailored sessions for each client group. 60 ideas of group activities, complete with sheet music and helpful illustrations to bring the text to life, make this book your ideal practice companion.

This comprehensive and groundbreaking book describes the effective use of songwriting in music therapy with a variety of client populations, from children with cancer and adolescents in secondary school to people with traumatic brain injury and mental health problems. The authors explain the specific considerations to bear in mind when working with particular client groups to achieve the best clinical outcomes. All the contributors are experienced music therapy clinicians and researchers. They provide many case examples from clinical practice to illustrate the therapeutic methods being used, together with notated examples of songs produced in therapy. Particular emphasis is placed on how lyrics and music are created, including the theoretical approaches underpinning this process. This practical book will prove indispensable to students, clinical therapists, music therapists, educators, teachers and musicians.

Music therapists are trained to use their first study instrument in clinical practice, yet existing literature focuses almost exclusively on the use of piano, basic percussion and voice. This illuminating book brings together international music therapists who use a diverse range of musical instruments in their clinical work: the clarinet, the piano accordion, the flute, the cello, the trumpet and flugelhorn, the bassoon, the violin, the viola, the harp, the guitar, lower brass instruments (the trombone and the euphonium), the oboe, the saxophone and bass instruments (double bass and bass guitar). Each therapist reflects on their relationship with their instrument and the ways in which they use it in therapeutic settings, discussing its advantages and disadvantages in a variety of clinical populations: children and adolescents, adults with learning disabilities, adults with mental health problems and older people. This will be essential reading for any music therapist or student music therapist who uses or is interested in using a musical instrument in their work, and will be of interest to other caring and healthcare professionals, teachers, musicians and carers wanting to learn more about instrumental music therapy.

It is widely acknowledged that music is of great value for people with learning difficulties. It can be used as a catalyst to help those with special needs acquire and improve basic skills and thereby to communicate better. With clear aims and easy-to-follow instructions, Pied Piper describes 78 enjoyable music activities for groups of children or adults who may have learning difficulties. The emphasis is on using music, rather than learning songs or rhythms, so group members do not need any special skills to be able to participate. Full details are given about any equipment required for the games, as well as suggestions for variations or modifications. The authors are experienced music therapists and have used these activities on numerous occasions. Designed to encourage people to develop their own ideas and musical activities, this collection will be a source of inspiration and practical advice for anyone working with people with a range of special needs including carers and group leaders.

In the past, music therapy work with children typically took place in special schools without the family being present. More recently, music therapy has become a widespread practice, and this book reflects the variety of settings within which music therapists are now working with children together with their families. The contributors are music therapists with experience of working with children and their families in a range of different environments, such as schools, hospices, psychiatric units, child development centres and in the community. They describe their approaches to family work with client groups including children with autism, learning disabled toddlers, adopted children and looked after teenagers. Their experiences demonstrate that involving the family in a child's music therapy can be beneficial for everyone, and that it is possible to address relationship issues within the family as part of the treatment. This book will provide useful insight into the growing area of music therapy with children and their families, and will be valuable for music therapy professionals and students, as well as other medical and teaching professionals who work with families.

In Interactive Music Therapy -- A Positive Approach, Amelia Oldfield explains how her approach to music therapy sessions establishes a constructive musical dialogue with children that emphasises positive experiences -- these establish trust and allow feelings to be expressed through music. Describing the general benefits of this approach, the author also details its application for specific clinical groups including children with autistic spectrum disorders, relationship difficulties or physical disabilities. Individual chapters focus on the use of music therapy for diagnostic assessment, child development issues and in child and family psychiatry. Brief case studies throughout the text illustrate points of particular importance. This practical book will be of use to music therapists, nurses and occupational therapists working with children from a variety of clinical groups, including children on the autism spectrum and children with learning disabilities. It is also of use to music therapy trainers, their students and academics whose interests include music therapy.

In this insightful book, Oldfield and Carr draw together persuasive arguments for combining aspects of music therapy and dramatherapy, whilst retaining their unique facets. Building on the many links between music and drama and the compatibility between the two disciplines, the authors explore how artistic aspects of each therapy can be drawn on to create fresh ways of working. This approach enriches the practice of professionals working to support people with special needs, people recovering from trauma and social deprivation and a wide range of other service users. Despite the significant overlap in music therapy and dramatherapy techniques, this is the first book to directly explore the vast potential of elements of the two disciplines being brought together. Covering a range of different perspectives and practice contexts, this book demonstrates just how much the professions can offer each other both from a clinical perspective and from the point of view of training therapists.

This comprehensive book describes well-defined models of music therapy for working with families in different clinical areas, ranging from families with special needs children or dying family members through to families in psychiatric or paediatric hospital settings. International contributors explain the theoretical background and practice of their specific approach, including an overview of research and illustrative case examples. Particular emphasis is placed on connecting theory and clinical practice and on discussing the challenges and relevance of each model. This practical and theoretically anchored book will prove valuable for music therapists, students and researchers in the fast developing field of music therapy with families.

This work brings together the experiences of practitioners who use group music therapy with diverse client groups in various settings. Chapters discuss work with children, adolescents, and adults of all ages, shiwing the wide range of applications for group music therapy: in assessment for clinical diagnosis; in work with clients who have learning disabilities, special educational needs, eating disorders or autistic spectrum disorders; and in neurological rehabilitation. Group music therapy is examined from different theoretical perspectives - including psychoanalytic and Foulkesian approaches - and in conjunction with art therapy.

The majority of music therapy work with children takes place in schools. This book documents the wealth and diversity of work that music therapists are doing in educational settings across the UK. It shows how, in recent years, music therapy has changed and grown as a profession, and it provides an insight into the trends that are emerging in this area in the 21st century. Collating the experiences of a range of music therapists from both mainstream and special education backgrounds, Music Therapy in Schools explains the procedures, challenges and benefits of using music therapy in an educational context. These music therapists have worked with children of all ages and abilities from pre-school toddlers in nursery schools to teenagers preparing for further education, and address specific issues and disabilities including working with children with emotional and behavioural problems, and autistic spectrum disorders. This book will be essential reading for music therapists, music therapy students and educational professionals.

The strain of caring for children struggling with severe and complex mental health needs affects the entire family. The staff at the innovative Croft Child and Family Unit have developed a unique approach of working intensively with the whole family, and encouraging them to share their experiences with other families, to instigate a complete change that will benefit all family members. Using detailed case studies to illustrate the model, the book focuses on the needs of children with a wide range of developmental, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and explores the complicated interactions between these children, their families and their communities. The care team includes nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, family therapists and creative therapists, social workers and teachers. They examine how to integrate a range of therapeutic interventions and how to use the powerful relationships that develop between professionals and families to enable positive, lasting changes. This book will be indispensable reading for trainees and professionals working with children with mental health problems and their families, and special needs educationalists wanting to understand the benefits of an intensive, multi-family approach to treatment for children who do not respond to standard community interventions.