Training Standards: Context, Aims and Use

Context

These recommended standards have been developed through the work of the European Music Therapy Standards Commission (EMTSC) of the European Music Therapy Confederation (EMTC), a workstream of EMTC from 2017-2024.

The EMTS process was led by the core board of EMTC at that time: Esa Ala-Ruona, Melanie Voigt and Alice Pehk. Other members of the EMTS commission were Marketa Gerlichova, Laurien Hakvoort, Melissa Mercadal-Brotons and Tessa Watson (with former members being Albert Berman, Elena Fitzthum and Ranka Radulovic).

The standards were developed through a survey to all music therapy training programmes in the EMTC. The survey was distributed to 116 programmes (academic and non-academic/private), and 78 programmes responded. 

The responses from the programmes not only led to the formulation of standards for training, but also to a definition of the profession which describes the complexity and breadth of music therapy in Europe. 

Music therapy in Europe is an independent, credentialed profession that uses specific music/musical interventions according to evidence-based knowledge gained from clinical and practice-based research, to realize individual treatment goals within a therapeutic alliance in order to support clients with their physical, developmental, communicative, intellectual, social, mental and/or emotional health, functioning and well-being.

Based on this definition, the core competence of the music therapist working in a European context can be described as follows:

A trained music therapist uses various elements of music (rhythm, harmony, melody, tone of sound, dynamics, etc.) actively and receptively to meet the needs of clients. They use their knowledge of music perception, production, and performance as the basis for music therapy interventions in order to improve health, functioning and well-being. Music therapists use music-based interventions such as improvisation, listening to music, composition, performance, singing, and/or movement to music as well as reflection on musical actions.

Additionally, the music therapist uses their knowledge e.g. in allied disciplines of psychology, medicine, rehabilitation and special education. The music therapist works in collaboration with the person in therapy, families and caregivers, and the multidisciplinary team to assess, plan and implement safe and effective treatment to meet agreed treatment goals. The music therapist also contributes to the broader healthcare landscape by providing supervision, training and innovations in clinical practice. The music therapist is able to work in challenging settings and situations where the client’s communication and interaction abilities are limited/developing.

The standards were sent to the European training programmes in 2022 for feedback. The responses were positive. The competence-based standards for music therapy training programmes, the definition of music therapy and the core competence of music therapists in Europe were unanimously accepted by the General Assembly of the EMTC on September 6, 2024.