Greece

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

Definition of Music Therapy: Music therapy in Greece (according to the standards of ESPEM) is defined as “an established health profession in which music is used within the framework of a therapeutic relationship with goals that aim at physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs of people. It includes the clinical, research-informed and evidence-based use of musical interventions to achieve individual and/or group goals by a certified music therapist who has completed a recognized music therapy program” (ESPEM, 2019).

Since there was no Music Therapy education program offered by a Greek State University until 2016, most music therapists were trained in various educational settings abroad, mostly from the UK and the United States. From 2016, a significant number of music therapists have completed the master’s program that is offered by the University of Macedonia.

In terms of music therapy approach, music therapists in Greece have been trained in a range of different approaches, with psychodynamic, music-centred, and humanistic approaches being most prevalent (Tsiris & Kalliodi, 2020). There are also several practitioners who have completed post-qualification training in Neurologic Music Therapy, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Music Therapy (NICU-MT), Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Vocal Psychotherapy. This variety of educational backgrounds and approaches reflects the rich diversity of theoretical and professional backgrounds that music therapists in Greece bring to their practices (Kalliodi et al., 2023).

ESPEM (2019). Music therapy: Information and proposals for the recognition of the profession. sites.google.com/view/musictherapy-gr

Kalliodi, C., Akoyunoglou, M., Adamopoulou, C., Froudaki, M., & Tsiris, G. (2023). Towards an open dialogue: Contemporary developments in the field of music therapy in Greece [in Greek]. In T. Raptis & E. Perakaki (Eds.), Music Education in a changing world: Identities, values, experiences. Proceedings of the 9th Conference of GSME (pp. 451–466). Greek Society for Music Education.

Tsiris, G. & Kalliodi, C. (2020). Music therapy in Greece and its applications in dementia and end-of-life care. Special Feature: Music therapy in dementia and end-of-life care: Mediterranean perspectives, Report published online October 17, 2020 (First View).

RECOGNITION AND APPROVAL

The Special Education Act, ratified in October 2008, is the first—and to date the only—law in Greece to recognise music therapy as a professional title (see Official Journal of the Hellenic Republic, 2008).

The Act sets out the qualifications required for employment and practice as a music therapist in public special education settings. However, it contains significant shortcomings in relation to qualification standards, which are not aligned with those established for the profession in Greece by ESPEM.

As a result, an individual may be considered “qualified” to practise as a music therapist under the Special Education Act (2008), yet not meet ESPEM’s standards and therefore be ineligible for registration as a member of the Association. Furthermore, the section of the Act referring to music therapy has remained inactive since 2008. Despite the ratification of the act, music therapy has still not been formally recognised as a profession by the State, and ESPEM continues to work towards official State registration (for further discussion of the Act and its impact on the profession in Greece, see Tsiris, 2011b; Tsiris & Kalliodi, 2020).

Tsiris, G. (2011b). Music therapy in Greece. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. voices.no/community/index.html?q=country-of-the-month%252F2011-music-therapy-greece

Tsiris, G. & Kalliodi, C. (2020). Music therapy in Greece and its applications in dementia and end-of-life care. Special Feature: Music therapy in dementia and end-of-life care: Mediterranean perspectives, Report published online October 17, 2020 (First View).

Since 2016, a two-year Master’s program in Music Therapy has been offered by the University of Macedonia in the city of Thessaloniki. Apart from that, Music Therapy is offered as an introductory, mainly elective, module within the wider curriculum of Music or Education Departments with State Universities. For example, there are modules at the Department of Music Studies, Aristotle University in Thessaloniki with supervised clinical work of students and at the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University in Corfu run by certified music therapists. The position of Lecturer of music therapy in Special Education at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki was established in 2010. That was the first music therapy post in a Greek State University. In 2022, two further academic posts were established: Assistant Professor of music therapy and inclusive music practices at the Department of Music Studies, Ionian University, and  Specialized Teaching Staff of music therapy at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Kalliodi et al., 2023). Additionally, Sonora – as a non-profit multidisciplinary organisation for music therapy and research, offers training in GIM and in Music and Imagery in Greece (Tsiris & Kalliodi, 2020).

Kalliodi, C., Akoyunoglou, M., Adamopoulou, C., Froudaki, M., & Tsiris, G. (2023). Towards an open dialogue: Contemporary developments in the field of music therapy in Greece [in Greek]. In T. Raptis & E. Perakaki (Eds.), Music Education in a changing world: Identities, values, experiences. Proceedings of the 9th Conference of GSME (pp. 451–466). Greek Society for Music Education.

Tsiris, G. & Kalliodi, C. (2020). Music therapy in Greece and its applications in dementia and end-of-life care. Special Feature: Music therapy in dementia and end-of-life care: Mediterranean perspectives, Report published online October 17, 2020 (First View).

RESEARCH AND LITERATURE

Research activity in Greece is limited but in a developing stage. Research funding is needed because the development of research in music therapy appears to be essential for the future development of the profession in Greece. Despite the lack of research, there is a peer-reviewed journal which is dedicated to the field of music therapy, Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy (journals.qmu.ac.uk/approaches). Approaches was established in 2008 as an open access publication with both Greek and English being official languages of the journal.

The proceedings of the 1st one-day conference of the Hellenic Association of Certified Professional Music Therapists (ESPEM) were published as a special edition in Approaches.

In addition, the Music Therapy Dictionary: A place of interdisciplinary encounters is an English-Greek dictionary that aims to “create a shared language that would clarify terminology and provide recommendations” to support music therapy discourse, research and education in the Greek language (Tsiris et al., 2025).

• Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy (online peer-reviewed journal), journals.qmu.ac.uk/approaches
• Hellenic Association of Certified Professional Music Therapists (ESPEM), musictherapy.gr
• Sonora: a multidisciplinary organization for music therapy & research, sonora.gr
• Music therapy dictionary: A place of interdisciplinary encounters [in Greek] journals.qmu.ac.uk/approaches/dictionary

Tsiris, G., Akoyunoglou, M., Papastavrou, D., & Katostari, K. (Eds.). (2025). Music therapy dictionary: A place of interdisciplinary encounters [in Greek]. Approaches PLUS. journals.qmu.ac.uk/approaches/dictionary