Congratulations to the European Music Therapy Standards Commission (EMTS) on the culmination of a seven-year process—publishing the Recommended Training Standards for Music Therapy Courses in Europe.
The Need for Standards
Since 1998, the EMTC has debated the need for standards to safeguard the practice of music therapy. The first major effort culminated in the launch of the European Music Therapy Register in 2010. Yet, by 2016, only 16 therapists had registered—indicating the approach needed a rethink.
In 2017, the EMTC decided to establish minimum standards — a set of suggested competencies necessary for entry into the profession after completing a training programme.
A Bottom-Up Approach
From the outset, the commission prioritised a bottom-up process, avoiding top-down mandates. This was achieved by inviting 116 training programmes across Europe to complete a survey in 2018, which yielded 78 detailed, complex responses.
Over the next three years, these responses were meticulously analysed, leading to the categorisation of core competencies and learning outcomes. This systematic process produced overarching “umbrella” competencies, aligned with the European Qualification Framework.
A Positive Response from Educators and Practitioners
In 2022, draft standards were circulated for feedback, receiving a highly positive response. The competence-based standards for training programmes, along with definitions for music therapy and the core competencies of European practitioners, were finally approved by the EMTC General Assembly on September 6, 2024.
The standards were then presented at the 13th EMTC conference in Hamburg, July 2025, with the aim of bridging theory and practice. Post-presentation, educators and practitioners debated the challenges and benefits of adopting them, considering their impact on teaching, learning, professional practice, quality assurance, and cross-profession comparisons.
A Tool to Foster High-Quality Training
Today, the standards are published here. Designed as a resource and benchmark, they aim to foster high-quality training — whether for new or established programmes. The EMTC looks forward to seeing these aspirations realised in the years ahead.
