Czech Republic

There is a long tradition of music therapy in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia), drawing on the heritage of music culture and folklore, the foundations of special education and the principles of music education. Above all, the origins stem from the psychotherapeutic influence (connected with the name of Christoph Schwabe) as the prevailing course of Czechoslovak music therapy in the 1970s and 1980s. The use of music therapy in the Czech Republic dates back to the 1970s. At the time, elements of music therapy were intentionally implemented in psychiatry practice and social education.

Since the 1990s, music therapy in the Czech Republic has begun to take on a more professional structure. The first specialized organizations were established, systematically defining educational standards and professional ethics. During this period, the number of courses and workshops at the university level also increased, and specialized study programs within the framework of lifelong learning began to emerge. At the same time, research activities developed to provide evidence for the effectiveness of music therapy in various clinical and community contexts.

The Master’s program in Music Therapy at the Faculty of Education of Palacký University in Olomouc was launched in 2019. This follow-up master’s program is unique in the Czech Republic and offers comprehensive training in the field of music therapy, including theoretical instruction, self-experience, supervision, and practical training.

Established in 2021, the JBI Centre for Evidence-Based Practice in Education and Arts Therapies is a research and methodological workplace at the Faculty of Education of Palacký University in Olomouc. It is the second affiliated centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) in the Czech Republic. The centre focuses on applying evidence-based practice (EBP) methodology in education and arts therapies. Its main activity is the creation of systematic reviews using rigorous scientific methods to identify, select, assess, and synthesize research study results. The goal is to improve the quality of secondary research and contribute to the development of scientific fields and methodologies in art expressive areas.

In the Czech Republic, music therapy is actively supported through regular professional meetings, conferences, and educational events. In addition to in-person conferences, webinars and online meetings are increasingly used, allowing professionals from various regions of the Czech Republic and abroad to share knowledge, discuss specific therapeutic approaches, and stay updated on the latest research in music therapy.

Selected links:
Czech music therapy association (CZMTA): czmta.cz
Master Degree study program at Palacký University: muzikoterapie-studium.upol.cz 
Conference “Space for Art Therapies”: expresivniterapie.org
Akademie Alternativa: akademiealternativa.cz
International Association of Artistic Therapies: maut.cz
TERA expressive therapies: era.expresivniterapie.cz
Conference “Common Space”: spolecnyprostor.cz

In the Czech Republic we define music therapy as follows: “Music therapy is a field with a primarily therapeutic impact. At the same time, music therapy is a curative and supporting process where a qualified music therapist accompanies his/her client or group in a therapeutic process through a helping relationship, music and musical elements. The aim of the process is to develop a potential or to restore functions of the individual in a relevant way so that the individual can achieve a better intrapersonal and/or interpersonal integration targeted at fulfilling the individual’s physical, mental, emotional and social needs.” (CZMTA, 2013)

When we analyse the music therapy models which influenced the current state of music therapy in the Czech Republic, we can distinguish five categories of prevailing music therapy streams concerning music therapy as a profession:

• Psycho-therapeutic music therapy (clinical)
• Neurorehabilitation music therapy (clinical)
• Special education music therapy (educational, auxiliary, rehabilitative)
• Anthroposophic and transpersonal music therapy
• Educational music therapy (music philetics)

There is currently no state recognition or legal regulation of music therapy as a profession in the Czech Republic. The recognition process is taking place gradually and is closely connected with the activities of professional music therapy organizations. It involves not only issues of education and the accreditation of study programs (e.g., at Palacký University Olomouc), but also the need to gather sufficient research evidence on the effectiveness of music therapy. This gradual development is leading towards establishing a stronger institutional foundation for music therapy and towards its perception as a fully-fledged therapeutic method. At present, many experienced music therapists (widely accepted within the music therapy community) provide courses and training in various institutions (such as universities, hospitals, and professional associations) as well as privately. There are many excellent music therapists in the Czech Republic with broad educational backgrounds, though often without any specific academic title or diploma.

The Czech Music Therapy Association (CZMTA) supports the participation of music therapy professors in doctoral state examinations of students focusing on music therapy research. It also seeks to protect the profession from those students who complete a PhD thesis on music therapy and subsequently present themselves as music therapists, despite lacking clinical experience, supervision, and other essential requirements.

Master’s degree Music Therapy study program at Palacky University Olomouc, Faculty of Education. muzikoterapie-studium.upol.cz

Music therapy courses in the private sector:

Music therapy courses guaranteed by the CZMTA:
czmta.cz/poznej-asociaci/garantovane-kurzy-seminare

Akademie alternativa [Alternative Academy] – supported by Mezinárodní asociace uměleckých terapií (MAUT) [International Association of Artistic Therapies]; focused on all types of expressive therapies akademiealternativa.cz

CPD course : Music Creativity as a Tool for Psychohygiene and Personal Development, Faculty of Arts, University Ostrava fu.osu.cz/30475/czv-na-fakulte-umeni

Various continuous professional development courses are offered also in Ostrava, Prague, and Olomouc, in cooperation with foreign professionals and academics.

Many students from various faculties and universities in the Czech Republic work on research theses with music therapy topics. In 2019, the Evidence-Based Education working team was established at Palacký University in Olomouc. Originally the Mentee Centre affiliated to Czech National Evidence Based Center in Brno, it was transformed into Palacký University Center for Evidence-Based Education and Arts Therapies in 2020 with a mission to implement and develop secondary research in the area of arts therapies. Currently, the collection of data for the international research in music therapy organized by prof. Gilboa and prof. Weiss from Israel is closing. The Czech Republic is taking part in this research together with other European countries.

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