Music Therapists are required to complete a nationally approved college curriculum which includes training in psychology, ethics of the therapeutic relationship, anatomy and physiology, and practical clinical experience. Music therapy students are trained to use instruments such as guitar, piano, percussive instruments, and the voice as therapeutic tools rather than as a means of performance. After completion of their academic work and prior to taking the national board certification exam, music therapy students must then complete a 1,040-hour internship at an approved facility. Music Therapists differ from entertainers and volunteers because they have received rigorous specialized training to deal with the unique challenges that arise during intensely emotional sessions, and they are specially equipped to work with individuals with wide-ranging physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and musical skill levels. Music has innate healing qualities, but it takes years of training and study to fully understand its effects on the brain, and how best to use music therapeutically in diverse populations and circumstances.
Currently, there is one college within the state that offers a Music Therapy program, and that is Seattle Pacific University. You can learn more about their program by clicking on the "Seattle Pacific University" in the previous sentence to go to their website.
