"Music Therapy huh? That's just for kids, right?" This is something I personally hear everytime I tell people about music therapy. And yes, I do work mostly with kids, but creative arts therapists are trained in so may different areas and fields. The creative arts include music, art, dance and drama, including a few other outlets for expressions as well, and none of them are just for children! Wondering if one of the creative arts therapies is for you or someone you know? You will be surprised to see some of the populations and groups on this list! Check out some of the many different clients who have received creative arts services, and see if you or someone you love fits into any of these categories!
1. Early Intervention- Through the creative arts, on developmental skills, speech skills, social skills, conversational skills and so much more!
2. Children and Adults with Special Abilities- Working on skills that are needed to develop relatively closely to peers as well as life and occupational skills needed in life.
3. Seniors- Working on maintaining skills, life, and creating a happy, energetic environment to stimulate the mind and body.
4. Children and Adults with Mental Health Concerns- Working on reality orientation, life goals and expectations, joining society, life skills and occupational skills needed in life.
5. Children and Adults going through a crisis- Working on coping skills, using music as an outlet for stress reduction, opening and improving communcation during crisis through an artistic outlet.
6. Children and Adults suffering from PTSD- Using the creative arts to express fears, emotions, concerns and stress, learning how to use music as a tool for relaxation, and positive associations through music.
7. Veterans- Treating possible PTSD symptoms, reconnecting back with the community, connecting with other Veterans.
8. Children and Adults with Developmental Delays- Using the arts to work on social skills, improve developmental abilities, increase communication, and decrese behaviors.
9. Children and Adults in the hospital- Through the creative arts patients can work on positive outlets for stress and relaxation, pain management, motivation to keep working hard, and distractions.
10. Children and Adults with Temporary Limitations- Whether in the hospital for a brief time, temporary psychiatric facilities, out patient care, or recovering at home from an accident, creative arts therapies can provide distraction, relaxation, pain management, coping skills, re-connecting back into society, and improvement of the limitation they are facing.
11. Hospice Patients- In end of life care, creative arts therapies can provide peace and comfort through the arts, an audio recording, video, song, art piece or some physical way to remember the patient, pain management, closure, and distraction during what could otherwise be a dark and depressing time.
12. LQBTQA Individuals or Communities- Working on connecting with the community and with others like themselves, building confidence and, for some, reentering society.
13. Cultural Communities- These groups work on community building, connecting with those in similar situations, and receiving empathetic support.
14. Families going through a crisis- Building up confidence, reconnecting, learning coping strategies, and expressing emotions through the arts.
15. Couples- Working on reconnecting, opening a new form on communication, expressing emotions through the arts and sharing in creating something.
16. Neurological Disorders- Using multiple functions of the brain at once to re-establish connections that may have been broken, opening a new line of communication, and decreasing behaviors caused by injury or deterioration.
17. Prisons/Juvenile Vacilities- Working on anger management, acceptance of faults, re-connecting back to community and coping strategies.
These are the majority, but of course not all, of the populations that benefit from creative arts therapies. Do you know a population we may have missed? Interested in learning more about how the creative arts can help a specific population? Comment below or go to www.muzique.org/contactus and leave us a message letting us know! We would love to see what other populations benefit and how we can all work together to bring the creative arts to a population that may be in need right now!
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