Resources & references

This article explores the efficacy of music therapy interventions in palliative care and their therapeutic impact on physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

This article describes the development and implementation of the Grief Song-Writing Process (GSWP) with bereaved adolescents. Details of this protocol are shared, along with five original songs composed for and during the song-writing process.

This fact sheet from the American Music Therapy Association provides information about music therapy practices for substance abuse recovery. This page provides information on potential outcomes of music therapy, contraindications for music therapy, the clinical process, research areas, and a client testimonial.

This informational page from the Music Therapy Association of British-Columbia provides an overview of music therapy practices in a mental health context. It describes why music therapy may be effective in addressing mental health needs, lists examples of mental illnesses where music therapy can help, presents different approaches and activities that can be used, and provides literature supporting the use of music therapy for mental health.

This fact sheet from the American Music Therapy Association provides information about music therapy practices for adults with mental health and substance use challenges. This page provides information on relevant definitions and statistics, the types of mental health settings in which music therapists work, potential outcomes of music therapy, contraindications for music therapy, the clinical process, and effectiveness research.

This research article evaluated how music therapy can help children, teenagers, and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. It determined that music therapy is highly beneficial to have in an interdisciplinary team to manage symptoms and provide psychosocial care. 

This article investigates the therapeutic effects of music therapy for individuals in palliative care facing physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual challenges.

This video presents the work of Kelsey MacDonald, certified music therapist (Canada). In this video, Kelsey provides music therapy sessions to a patient with dementia at Aberdeen Hospital in Nova Scotia. This video includes testimonials from the patient's daughter and the director of the palliative care unit.

This book chapter explains the effects of music therapy in palliative care. It is derived from the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine (5th Ed) published by the Oxford University Press. Note: The link includes the full text of the chapter (i.e., 18 pages plus references).

In this video (in Spanish), Sheila Pereiro, a music therapist in Spain, shares about her experiences working with diverse populations of various ages and needs. She describes how music helped her clients express themselves, connect with others, find healing, and enhance their quality of life.

This video features Anna Lacourse, certified music therapist (Quebec) who presents her work with a patient at the Saint-Raphaël Palliative Care Home and Day Center (Montreal). The patient gives a testimonial and describes the benefits he has experienced through music therapy.

This article from La Press presents the work of Anne Lacourse who is certified music therapist in Canada (MTA), at the Saint Raphaël Palliative Care Home and Day Center. It includes a video (1m 6s) of the music therapist performing a song composed by one of her music therapy patients.