Sweden

In 1974 The Swedish Association for Music Therapy, Svenska förbundet för musikterapi (SFM) was founded by a handful of people interested in music therapy. 1977 SFM started to publish a journal, Musikterapi.

Music therapy training on academic level was first introduced 1981 at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm as a postgraduate program in music therapy for educated music teachers.

1985 Sjöviks folkhögskola started a basic course in music therapy at folk high school level.
Musikterapiinstiutet, a private institute, was founded 1987 in Uppsala with the aim to educate in the method called Functional Music Therapy (FMT) A program on graduate level in Functional music therapy started 1988 at Ingesund University College of Music.

Since 2021 there has been a full-time bachelor’s program in music therapy at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, running every other year, and a 2 year’s training course in Functional Music Therapy at Eskilstuna folkhögskola (non-academic post-high school level). Currently no ongoing GIM training.

Working Areas for Music Therapists:

• Educational systems: e.g. Normal- and special schools, Kindergarten, Prison, Music schools
• Clinical- or psychiatric work: e.g. Hospital (e.g. palliative, cancer, childcare units), Psychiatric hospital, Geriatric ward, Private music therapy centres, Childcare institution, Psychiatric care for adults, children of youths.
• Community-based work: e.g. Cultural engagement (culture and health), Youth clubs, Activity centre e.g. mentally handicapped, Projects, Human service system e.g. health stations
• Consultants: e.g. Health care system, Administration, Education (high school, university), Counselling, County team, Autism centre, Observation center

Royal College of Music in Stockholm
Website: www.kmh.se
• Bachelor programme in Music Therapy

The program is founded on a broad humanistic and psychodynamic basis with a focus on communicative musicality and integration of musical and therapeutic competences. It is aimed to develop the student’s professional skills to use music for purposes of health promotion and therapy.
The program includes music therapy methodology, music therapy practice, supervision and music therapy self experience.

The theoretical studies focus on music, psychology, psychotherapy, ethics and relevant clinical literature.
The student graduate with a Bachelor thesis.

The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM)

Website: www.expressivearts.se
Contact: margareta.warja@expressivearts.se

Eskilstuna Folk High School

The Eskilstuna Folk High School (Eskilstuna Folkhögskola) offers a two-year remote learning programme in FMT-based music therapy. The programme began during the fall of 2020, with another intake in the fall of 2022.

Training is also offered via the seat of learning and center for the FMT-method, “Lärosätet och centret för FMT-metoden”.

Professional training in the FMT-Method – Functionally Oriented Music Therapy – was previously offered at The Music Therapy Institute, “Musikterapiinstitutet”, in Uppsala between 1987-2008. The Ingesund School of Music, “Musikhögskolan Ingesund”, in Arvika offered the same from 1988 to 2013.

Information about PhD research to follow.

In 2025, after a long process, we once again gathered all music therapists in Sweden into one association, regardless of education. We are now in the process of implementing the EMTC professional standards as registration criteria.
Website: musikterapi.se
E-mail: info@musikterapi.se