Music Therapy Program

Easing Your Child's Health Journey with Therapeutic Music

Our music therapists are available to spend time with your child to make their healthcare journey brighter through therapeutic songwriting, active music making and other therapeutic interventions.

Meet our team

Healthcare providers play drums in a circle in the Healing Garden.

At Children’s National Hospital, clinically-trained music therapists in Child Life and Integrative Care Services work to support the psychological and physical wellbeing of children, families and staff members through music therapy interventions. Our music therapists improve your child’s hospital experience by:

Relieving anxiety
Reducing agitation
Supporting pain management
Improving coping skills
Providing developmental support

Musical Interventions to Enhance Your Child's Wellbeing

A young girl plays a ukulele while sitting in the Healing Garden. Music therapists work at the bedside with children of all ages (infants through adults) and all abilities. We choose specific interventions to target specific goals for your child or your family members. The interventions can be receptive or active depending on the patient’s current needs and abilities.

Music therapists can facilitate a wide array of interventions including music-assisted relaxation, therapeutic songwriting, lyric analysis and active music making.

The music therapists in Child Life and Integrative Care Services work with children in all inpatient units at Children’s National, except for Oncology/Hematology, which has its own dedicated music therapy team, and Psychiatry.

According to the American Music Therapy Association, “Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare and educational goals: promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, promote physical rehabilitation and more.”
Music therapists can work in nursing and assisted living facilities, hospice, schools (especially when written into a child’s Individualized Education Plan in special education), in prisons, psychiatric hospitals and private practice.
Find a certified music therapist in your area through the CBMT website or a music therapist who is a member of American Music Therapy Association through the AMTA website.
Music therapists typically enroll in an AMTA-approved music therapy program. They earn a music therapy degree (bachelor’s degree or master’s equivalency). While working toward their music therapy degree, coursework may include education in music theory, psychology, anatomy and physiology, as well as guitar and piano training. When coursework is completed, they must fulfill 1,200 hours of supervised internship experience at an approved internship site. They must pass a board certification exam. To maintain certification, they then must get recertified by completing at least 100 Continuing Music Therapy Education (CMTE) credits every five years.
Currently, the CLICS Music Therapy Program is not accepting practicum student or internship applications.
You can donate new musical instruments and gear directly to the Music Therapy Program through our online wish list at Dr. Bear’s Closet. To help meet the current needs of the hospital, we recommend sorting the online wish list by the “music therapy” favorites! Scroll through the existing wish list to see other instruments we know our patients would love. Items will be directly shipped to the Music Therapy Program.

Music Therapy Program

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Easing Your Child's Health Journey with Therapeutic Music

Musical Interventions to Enhance Your Child's Wellbeing

What is music therapy?

Where else do music therapists work?

How can I find a music therapist outside of the hospital?

What kind of training/education do music therapists need?

Can I do my practicum or internship with the Child Life and Integrative Care Services’ (CLICS) Music Therapy Program?

How can I support the Music Therapy Program?