When Music Meets Telehealth- How does MT work virtually?
Music therapy may seem like the last type of therapy that could work over zoom- the audio isn’t the same, the timing is off, you can’t access the instruments! All valid concerns, and true to an extent. However, music therapy sessions certainly can still be supportive to some folks- sometimes an even better fit than in-person sessions. In this post, we’ll go over what you can expect of music therapy telehealth, who it might be a good fit for, and some pros and cons of virtual MT sessions.
How it works:
Our teletherapy sessions typically take place over Zoom. Zoom has given us a lot of updates since the pandemic in terms of audio settings, specifically for musicians. Your therapist will have their audio settings adjusted so that you are able to hear all of their instruments and singing clearly, without any jolty sound cut-outs, and walk you through how to adjust them on your end as well. Your therapist may also have an external microphone to increase the audio quality even more. With all of these steps, sound should be coming through clearly, allowing for that third member of the therapeutic relationship (the music) to join the session.
Once the audio set up is out of the way, we have access to so many different music therapy experiences including:
Jamming- Even though we’re not in the clinic, or face-to-face, instruments can still make an appearance. Your music therapist will probably have some on their end, and if you have any in your home, you are welcome to bring them! If you don’t own any instruments, this could be a great opportunity for found sounds- what around your house can you use as an instrument? Cooking utensils? Water jugs? Hair combs? Get creative with it! As for singing- we can do that anywhere!
Song writing/Lyric analysis/Verbal processing- Some folks prefer not to create music virtually- or in person for that matter- and that is a-okay. We can still talk music in so many other ways. Perhaps we listen to a song recording followed by some meaningful discussion. Or maybe we brainstorm and talk through writing a song. Maybe we just chat and see where it takes us. There are no rules as to how music shows up in music therapy sessions- online or onsite
Virtual music creation sites- online music creation platforms such as GarageBand or SoundTrap are perfect for teletherapy sessions. We can share our screens to collaborate in a virtual studio, choosing different beats, loops, virtual instruments, and more.
Music games- so many music games we can play virtually! Freeze Dance, Name That Sound, countless online music games, as well as online visual aids are at our disposal as well.
Is virtual music therapy for me?
It doesn’t work for everyone, but it can be perfect for some! Here are some potential pros and cons for virtual MT. Note: these are ALL subjective. What may be a con to one person, may be a pro to another, and vice versa.
Cons
- Both therapy participants (client and therapist) are not sharing the same space. Literal distance between them.
- Too distracting! It doesn’t work for me/my kiddo to focus on a screen for that long
- Sessions in the office work better for me because: too many distractions at home, there are more instruments/supplies in the office, I like having the separation of home/therapy, etc.
Pros
- Allows you to be in your own space. If being in the comfort of your own space helps you feel the most ready and grounded for therapy, telehealth might be perfect. Sit on your favorite rug with a weighted blanket, have your cat join the session, bring some fidgets, etc. Some folks also feel they are also able to connect to the other therapy participant more with the distance. It can be a more neuroinclusive option, decreasing some of the stressors of masking or other socializing aspects.
- Can be a grounding point for high energy kiddos. Moving around the room is 100% alright during a virtual session- it may even be a part of our activity! But having the therapist on the screen can act as a home base to return to in order to re-orient to the task at hand.
- Can allow you to join from anywhere. If our office is too far, virtual sessions may be more accessible location/schedule-wise (Note: we might be able to work with folks across the country- to an extent. Maryland MTs can only work with clients in the state of Maryland, unless the state you live in does not have a state-issued MT license)
There is no one right way to do therapy- find the way that works best for you. Healing and growth is not linear, nor is it a one-size-fits-all. Ever. Although virtual options for therapy became a necessity during the pandemic, it existed before that- and continues today- because it is important to have different options to keep therapy as inclusive and accessible as possible.
If you’re interested in learning more about teletherapy at MMT, send us a message at inquiry@melodymt.com
-Mikaila Vieyra, LPMT, MT-BC
Identity of the author*: white, neurodivergent, queer, cis-woman.
*Why do we include this? Intersectionality is the way that the various identities we hold (race, gender, sexual orientation, dis/ability, etc.) impacts the way that we experience and perceive the world. How/what we take in from the world impacts how/what we put into the world. Though we are committed to consistently engaging in reflexive practices to explore our explicit/implicit biases, we share the identity to be transparent on what perspective this blog post is coming from.