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Music Therapy without a Liscense

chris epic

Perpetual Student
chris epic
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
677
Could I "practice" music therapy without a therapy, or psych, or whatever liscense?

People pay me to play the piano

They say it relaxes them

Could I offer it as music therapy without a liscense of some sort


(why the heck didn't I think of this years ago, I could charge $50 an hour!!!) WOOOHOOOO I love capitalism....and helping people, of coarse!


:)
 
I don't know a thing about the US but here in the UK, Music Therapy is accepted as perfectly valid. My daughter, who has a BA in music and a great interest in psychotherapy and counselling, wanted to be a music therapist but found she would have to acquire an MA degree as well.
You appear to think that Music Therapy is some kind of woo. It's not. It's a commonly used therapy for the mentally disabled and mentally ill, and for children with communication difficulties. Here's the website for the American Music Therapy association. Read it.
 
Music soothes the savage beast. It might be easier to start a band. I was told that if you write about 3 popular songs you can coast on the royalties. How hard could that be?

Gene
 
In the US, one can obtain a "counselor" license with very little formal training in most states. In my state, one of the most stringent, there is a "registered counselor" certification that doesn't require much of anything in the way of formal education or training, only a $40 application fee, attendence of a formal AIDS/HIV education program (about 4 hpurs) and a "credential" from some sort of organization, which covers a huge amount of ground. They're particularly popular for those with mail-order "divinity" or "theology" degrees (eg. Universal Life Church). Many sCAM practices are not regulated at all (such as Homeopathy). The few that are are regulated by private industry boards, with the state acting as sort of a rubber-stamp for anyone applying for registration as a health-care provider in their particular field.
 
I always thought Music Therapy involved the client's making music (or percussion or whatever). Sort of like how Art Therapy works--not merely showing the patient works of art, but having them do stuff hands on.

Elsewise, wouldn't it be more like Music Appreciation? (I honestly don't know--so I could be way off base.)
 
Try this ...

Obtain a business license as a musician. Have business cards made with your license number on them. Make up a slogan or catchphrase that promotes a "Relaxing Musical Environment" or words to that effect. Charge $50 per hour for private recitals, and $75 per hour for "Tea or Garden Parties."

Everything is legitimate, so far, right?

When you have a chance to mingle and schmooze with your clients and their guests, make some passing comment about how some people believe that good music seems to make people feel better.

This is still legit, as you are expressing an opinion about something you observed.

Do not use words like "Cure" or "Therapy" or "Treatment." Be very careful to not express or imply that your music has any mystical or subliminal properties to induce joy, relaxation, pain reduction, euphoria, or relief of any uncomfortable medical symptoms.

Dress well, and above all, keep a large brandy snifter for tips next to a stack of your business cards!
 
I don't know if there are any licensing requirements for music therapists in Colorado. However, if you market yourself as some sort of "therapist", you can open yourself to malpractice suits. If I were you, I'd come up with a different job title.
 
TellyKNeasuss said:
I don't know if there are any licensing requirements for music therapists in Colorado. However, if you market yourself as some sort of "therapist", you can open yourself to malpractice suits. If I were you, I'd come up with a different job title.
Click to expand...


I have an idea; how about "Pianist"? :rolleyes:

And learn to play like Enya.
 
Fnord said:
I have an idea; how about "Pianist"? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

[Insert witty comment about 12 inch pianists here.]

Edit : Incidently, it appears that you can't put [] around you're whole post because it doesn't consider anything inside to be part of the message.
Edit2 : But of course now I've added an edit I can.
 
If there is a license for music therapy, I wonder if your license could be revoked for using the devil's interval?

h t t p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritone
 
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