Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a qualified professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Music therapy has been shown to have a variety of benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and emotional well-being, and enhancing cognitive function. However, it is not typically used to worsen physical pain.

The primary goal of music therapy is to facilitate emotional expression and communication. This can be done through a variety of techniques, such as singing, playing an instrument, or listening to music.

Rehabilitation music therapy uses music to help people with physical disabilities improve their function and independence. This can include using music to help people with stroke regain movement, or using music to help people with Parkinson's disease improve their balance.

Music cognition is the study of how the brain processes music. This field of research has shown that music can have a number of benefits for cognitive function, including improving memory, attention, and language skills.

Psychiatric music therapy uses music to help people with mental health conditions improve their symptoms and overall well-being. This can include using music to help people with depression manage their mood, or using music to help people with anxiety reduce their stress levels.

Geriatric music therapy uses music to help older adults improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help older adults with dementia improve their memory and cognitive function, or using music to help older adults with chronic pain manage their symptoms.

Pediatric music therapy uses music to help children with developmental disabilities improve their skills and overall well-being. This can include using music to help children with autism spectrum disorder improve their communication and social skills, or using music to help children with Down syndrome improve their cognitive and motor skills.

Neurologic music therapy uses music to help people with neurological conditions improve their function and overall well-being. This can include using music to help people with stroke regain movement, or using music to help people with Parkinson's disease improve their balance.

Rehabilitation music therapy uses music to help people with chronic pain manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. This can include using music to help people with chronic pain relax and reduce their stress levels, or using music to help people with chronic pain improve their range of motion and function.

Oncology music therapy uses music to help people with cancer improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help people with cancer manage their pain and nausea, or using music to help people with cancer cope with the emotional challenges of their illness.

Cardiovascular music therapy uses music to help people with heart disease improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help people with heart disease reduce their stress levels, improve their mood, and increase their exercise tolerance.

Pulmonary music therapy uses music to help people with respiratory conditions improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help people with respiratory conditions improve their breathing, reduce their anxiety, and increase their exercise tolerance.

HIV/AIDS music therapy uses music to help people with HIV/AIDS improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help people with HIV/AIDS manage their pain and nausea, or using music to help people with HIV/AIDS cope with the emotional challenges of their illness.

Palliative music therapy uses music to help people with end-of-life care improve their health and well-being. This can include using music to help people with end-of-life care manage their pain and nausea, or using music to help people with end-of-life care cope with the emotional challenges of their illness.