Music Psychotherapy

“Where words fail, music speaks.”
— Hans Christian Andersen

Music Therapy Definition

“Music therapy is a discipline in which Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) use music purposefully within therapeutic relationships to support development, health, and well-being. Music therapists use music safely and ethically to address human needs within cognitive, communicative, emotional, musical, physical, social, and spiritual domains.”

(Canadian Association of Music Therapists, 2020)

Psychotherapy Definition

“Psychotherapy is primarily a talk-based therapy and is intended to help people improve and maintain their mental health and well-being. Registered Psychotherapists work with individuals, couples and families in individual and group settings. Psychotherapy occurs when the Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and client enter into a psychotherapeutic relationship where both work together to bring about positive change in the client’s thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning. Individuals usually seek psychotherapy when they have thoughts, feelings, moods and behaviours that are adversely affecting their day-to-day lives, relationships and the ability to enjoy life.”

(College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, 2024)

What is Music Psychotherapy?

Music psychotherapy is the combination of verbal and music-based methods which provide the groundwork for greater awareness and understanding of cognitive, communicative, emotional, musical, physical, social, and spiritual domains while promoting health and well-being. Music psychotherapy is a holistic therapy centred in the relationship between client, therapist, and music. Music-based and non-music-based methods can be utilized in any combination within the therapeutic relationship which work toward the development of new possibilities, insight, and positive transformation.

Four methods include:

Receptive listening to music, lyric analysis, guided imagery, drawing to music, etc.

Improvisational free sound making or based on theme, emotion, beliefs, etc.

Compositional songwriting, therapeutic rap and singing, instrumental composition, etc.

Re-creational singing or playing familiar or new songs with therapeutic intention, etc.

For inquires or bookings, please use the form below:

Alli Pfaff Psychotherapy operates in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough area.

Alli Pfaff Psychotherapy acknowledges we are on the treaty and traditional territory of the Mississauga (Michi Saagiig) Anishinaabeg and in the territory covered by the Williams Treaty and Treaty 20. Living in Nogojiwanong, the Anishinaabeg word for ‘place at the end of the rapids’, connects us to Curve Lake First Nation, Alderville First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. As a white settler, I commit to a continued process of learning, centred in care and humility, and recognize my responsibility to work toward reconciliation.