Music Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide

Music therapy has been used in some form for as long as music itself has existed. Its modern incarnation as a formalized clinical practice emerged after World War II, when musicians began visiting hospitals to support veterans recovering from physical and emotional trauma. The results were significant enough that hospitals started hiring musicians, and what followed was the gradual professionalization of the field into the evidence-based discipline it is today.

At Heartfelt Support, we work with a fully qualified music therapist. This article explains what music therapy actually is, and what the research says about why it works.

What music therapy is — and isn’t

Music therapy is the evidence-based use of music interventions to address individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship. It’s different from listening to music for enjoyment or relaxation, though those things can happen within a session. Clinical music therapy involves a range of structured activities — creating, singing, moving to, and listening to music — facilitated by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

In the NDIS context, music therapy is typically funded under Improved Daily Living or Therapeutic Supports, depending on how goals are framed in your plan.

Music therapy benefits: what the research shows

Area	Evidence summary
Mental health	Reduces symptoms of depression; supports emotional regulation and wellbeing
Stress and anxiety	Lowers stress levels; well-documented in medical and daily settings
Cognitive function	Improves performance in older adults; benefits for dementia and Alzheimer’s
Pain management	Emerging evidence for reducing chronic pain perception
Social communication	Particularly effective for autism — improves interaction and connection
Rehabilitation	Supports stroke recovery; neurologic music therapy aids motor and speech rehab
Group wellbeing	Builds community and belonging; effective in psychiatric group settings

Mental health

Clinical evidence supports music therapy as an effective intervention for mental health conditions. Research published in the Journal of Music Therapy highlights its effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression, and the field has a strong evidence base for supporting emotional regulation and wellbeing more broadly.

Stress and anxiety

The anxiety-reducing properties of music are well-documented. Research in Psychosomatic Medicine demonstrated music’s ability to lower stress levels in patients undergoing medical procedures — an effect that translates directly to the kinds of anxiety that many NDIS participants experience in daily life and therapeutic settings.

Cognitive function

Music therapy has been shown to improve cognitive function, particularly in older adults with cognitive impairment. One study reported that music therapy can benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease, enhancing cognitive performance and quality of life.

Pain management

Music therapy has a growing role in pain management. Research in the Journal of Palliative Care examined the evidence for music’s role in reducing chronic pain — indicating that the therapeutic benefits extend well beyond the psychological.

Social communication

For children with autism, music therapy has shown particular promise in improving social communication and interaction. This is one of the areas where the research is most consistent: music creates a non-threatening shared context for connection that can be difficult to establish through other means.

Rehabilitation and recovery

Music therapy has been used effectively in stroke rehabilitation, supporting patients in regaining speech and motor skills. The International Journal of Stroke has documented this work. The emerging field of neurologic music therapy focuses specifically on how structured musical experience can support the brain’s recovery from injury.

Group sessions

Group music therapy creates a different kind of benefit to individual sessions. The Nordic Journal of Music Therapy has documented its effectiveness with psychiatric patients — the shared experience of making music together builds a sense of community and belonging that individual sessions don’t replicate. For participants who experience isolation, this dimension of music therapy is particularly valuable.

What this looks like at Heartfelt Support

Our music therapist works with participants across a range of goals — from building fine motor skills and coordination through instrument play, to using music as a framework for emotional processing and social engagement. Sessions are tailored to the individual, and goals are always tied back to what matters in your NDIS plan.

You can find out more about our music programs or get in touch with us to talk through whether it’s a good fit for your goals.

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