This enlightening text promotes listening to music as a rewarding component in the psychotherapeutic consultation. Unlike other guides on the topic, this book encourages the choice of music to come from the patient, rather than being prescriibed by the therapist. The comprehensive approach considers both theoretical and practical application, in any therapy setting. Featuring interviews from spiritual leaders, therapists, musicians and poets, the book explores the personal importance of listening to music and discovering how music can bring on strong emotions and reinforce feelings. Listening to Music in Psychotherapy is a practical guide that is invaluable for psychotherapists, counsellors and music therapists. Healthcare professionals with an interest in music therapy will also find it of great interest, as will course leaders and students in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.

Contributions from early childhood educators, teachers, psychologists, music therapists, occupational therapists, and psychotherapists highlight the crucial role that early relationships and interactions in group settings play in the development of children's personal, emotional and social skills. The book features the latest research and methods for successfully encouraging the development of these skills in groups of children aged 4-12. It explores how play within children's groups can be facilitated in order to foster emotional and empathic capacities, how to overcome common challenges to inclusion in schools and introduces practical, creative approaches to cultivating a sense of unity and team spirit in children's groups.

Roots of Musicality offers an accessible and original theoretical approach to a holistic music therapy based on the notion of musicality as an expression of self, with the power to energise, balance and harmonise. The author considers neuroscience and psychobiology to identify analogies with the potential of musical expression to bring about therapeutic change, as observed during his work with children with autistic spectrum and pervasive developmental disorders. Perret also explores the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and space - as means of connecting nature and human spirit. Taken together, these two approaches are instrumental in bridging the gap between music and life and fostering the expression and development of personal energy and spirit in a range of contexts, from arts therapy, music education, performance, and personal and spiritual growth. Roots of Musicality is a key text for music therapists, art therapists, sound healers, music teachers and musicians. It will be of particular interest to those using music therapy with children on the autism spectrum.

This multidisciplinary book shows how to foster meaningful relationships between therapists and vulnerable children, through exploring the concept of communicative musicality and creating rhythms of connection. It includes broad and in-depth contributions from leading therapists from diverse backgrounds - including Peter A. Levine, Daniel Hughes, Stephen Porges, Dennis McCarthy and many more. Contributors reflect on their own experiences, providing insights from the fields of music therapy, trauma, dance and movement therapy, psychobiology, dramatherapy, counselling, play therapy, and education. Contemporary theory is woven in with case stories to highlight the emotional realities of working with highly vulnerable children, and to present proven examples of how therapists can improve the quality of connectedness. Full of original and innovative ideas for working with attachment issues, trauma, communication difficulties, autism, learning disabilities, aggression and anxiety, this is inspiring reading for professionals who work with vulnerable children in creative therapies. Royalty proceeds from the book will be donated to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), UK.

Approaching the condition of autism from many perspectives, the authors make a comprehensive study of the disorder, balancing theory with practice, and presenting a clear picture of what it means to be autistic, and what can be done to improve the capabilities of the autistic child. They consider the historical descriptions, explanations and recognition of the condition; the symptoms and causes and examine methods of communicating with autistic children and helping them to communicate as fully as possible.