Music Therapy with Children

All children are musical.  Did you know that there are specific music milestones that are part of a child’s development, and that they can be observed in a child as young as three months old?  By the time a child is one year old, parents will see increased attention, movement, and babbling to music.  Between two and four years of age, children display a dramatic increase in singing, and will often babble and make up their own songs.

Exposing your child to music isn’t just a fun enrichment.  A child who is encouraged to be musical is being introduced to a means of self-expression and soothing that can serve them throughout their life span.  Studies have shown that children who study music develop important connections between the right and left hemispheres of their brains.  Learning music means learning about language, math, emotion, and the body.

Skillfully facilitated music classes can provide further benefits.  Musical games help children to learn about turn taking, sharing, collaborating, and socializing with their peers.  Music can be used to help parents bond with their babies.  Specialized songs can be created to assist with reinforcing safety in transitions and routines.

INDIVIDUAL MUSIC PSYCHOTHERAPY

The same qualities of music that make it great for helping children to learn and develop are also a part of what makes it a powerful tool for therapy.  Meghan sees children for individual therapy, utilizing both music and play, in her office in Midtown South.  Children who are struggling with a death in the family, their parents’ divorce, health concerns for themselves or their siblings, self-esteem issues, or any other type of difficulty adjusting or dealing with emotions can all benefit from the support of an attuned and kid-friendly psychotherapy process.

A combination of music and play therapy allows for additional means of self-expression, and also provides an additional tool for helping children feel grounded and “held” as they explore feelings that may be difficult or frightening.  The inherent structure, predictability, and collaboration that is inherent in music creates additional safety in the treatment room and helps with facile development of rapport and movement towards emotional health.

If your child needs extra support as they work through a difficult time or issue, please call or email for a consultation and to set up an initial interview with your child.