Music Therapy at Texas Children’s Hospital
Music therapy has become an increasingly popular therapy at children’s hospitals as it helps patients improve their quality of life, reduce stress and pain, boost self-confidence and communication. It can be an effective tool to cope with various health issues like mental illness, chronic pain, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer or trauma as well as others.
At Texas Children’s Hospital, we strive to ensure that every patient receives the highest standard of care – whether they’re in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care unit or emergency department. Our music therapists create a comfortable and therapeutic atmosphere for patients to express their emotions through musical experiences.
The Music Therapy Program strives to create a safe environment for children and families to have fun, learn, grow and express themselves through music. Furthermore, the program incorporates various therapeutic activities that help children reach their individual physical, psychological and social objectives.
Our team of talented and experienced therapists offers high-quality music therapy services to patients throughout the hospital. These include active music engagement, developmental stimulation through music, movement to music, engaging with music videos and audio recordings, directed singing/songwriting, as well as therapeutic music instruction.
We offer a range of educational in-services, lectures and advocacy in the field of music therapy as well as workshops on topics like CBMT exam preparation, using specific genres as clinical music therapy tools, and music therapy for pain and palliative care.
At Texas Children’s Hospital, our therapists are passionate about providing the highest quality of care and service to patients, families, and staff with compassion and respect. They have been specially trained in supporting all patients and their caregivers on their healing journey.
When a new child enters the hospital, they often feel anxious and overwhelmed. That is why Texas Children’s Hospital West location decided to add a therapy dog named Angus to their hospital family. Certified as a therapy dog, Angus provides comfort and calm to patients in pediatric intensive care units as well as in the emergency department.
Angus has quickly earned himself a place of honor among patients at Texas Children’s Hospital, becoming an instant hit and making many new friends. He especially enjoys visiting those who have been hospitalized for months on end – truly making each visit count!
Gustafson says the dog has been an incredible addition to the hospital, and she hopes more therapy dogs will be included in the program so even more patients can benefit from this form of comfort and love.
Our interns are gaining valuable experience in a range of settings, such as pediatrics, psychiatric hospitals, hospice, rehabilitation and neurology. They assist with our music therapy programs by working directly with patients and their families while learning the art of music therapy in preparation for their internship.