Music Therapy Handbook

Second Edition

Edited by Michael Viega, Andeline dos Santos, and Barbara L. Wheeler

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June 13, 2025
ISBN 9781462557493
Price: $98.00
534 Pages
Size: 7" x 10"
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June 13, 2025
ISBN 9781462556922
Price: $65.00
534 Pages
Size: 7" x 10"
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May 30, 2025
PDF and Accessible ePub ?
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534 Pages
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Rich with case material, the second edition of this respected text has been thoroughly revised with many new contributing authors and 85% new material. The Handbook comprehensively explores music therapy theory, research, and practice. Chapters cover foundational concepts and therapeutic processes, major approaches to practice, and clinical applications with people of all ages. The second edition has a heightened focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and cultural humility. Expert contributors describe state-of-the-art practices for using music to foster clients' well-being and recovery in a broad range of mental health, medical, and community settings.

New to This Edition

“With the publication of the Music Therapy Handbook, the music therapy profession may be moving away from introductory-level textbooks and into more comprehensive texts that can serve a multiplicity of purposes in music therapy training and practice….This reviewer highly recommends the incorporation of the Music Therapy Handbook into current music therapy education, and predicts that it will become one of the foundational texts in music therapy training.”

Journal of Music Therapy (on the first edition)


“This book is, without a doubt, a 'must' for any library as it is a vital resource for anyone interested in music therapy ….A rich and well-constructed book.”

British Journal of Music Therapy (on the first edition)


“Lends itself well to use by students and professional music therapists, as well as non-music therapists with whom clinicians and researchers collaborate. Physicians, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, OTs and PTs, and other allied healthcare professionals may find the text particularly helpful….I highly recommend this book.”

Music and Medicine (on the first edition)


“An excellent source for students and practitioners. Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; professionals/practitioners.”

Choice Reviews (on the first edition)


“The second edition of this gem of a handbook will be treasured by music therapists, instructors, and internship supervisors who want to take a deep dive into current topics and approaches in music therapy. The diversity of contributors, chapter topics, and settings and populations discussed is a highlight. The second edition emphasizes themes of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and cultural humility that often have been lacking in creative arts therapy resources. This handbook will be invaluable for entry-level music therapists looking to orient and root themselves culturally in fieldwork; it also contains unique insights for more advanced therapists.”

—Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, Professor, Icahn School of Medicine; Director, The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System, New York City


“This truly comprehensive handbook expertly bridges theory, research, and practice in a dynamic field. Authored by accomplished music therapists from around the globe, the second edition presents an in-depth exploration of clinical practice while emphasizing the importance of human diversity. Chapters provide foundational knowledge as well as opportunities to delve into specialized aspects of the discipline. With its thorough coverage and accessibility, the volume is ideally suited for use in introductory to advanced music therapy courses. Integrating cultural, aesthetic, theoretical, and practical perspectives, the Handbook is an indispensable tool for anyone seeking to understand or advance the practice of music therapy today.”

—John A. Carpente, PhD, MT-BC, LCAT, Professor of Music Therapy and Founder and Director, The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy at Molloy University


“This second edition is a radical update that celebrates an expanded collective of authors, critical perspectives, and new ways of understanding what it means to be a music therapist. The insights and care offered by the editors and contributors sincerely convey their passion for the profession, while challenging music therapists to critically reflect on their practices and research. I look forward to sharing this handbook with my graduate students and personally engaging with the many prompts for discussion throughout the chapters.”

—Grace Thompson, PhD, Music Therapy Program, University of Melbourne, Australia

Table of Contents

I. Foundational Overview

1. Overview of Music Therapy as a Profession, Nsamu Moonga & Natasha Thomas

2. Aesthetics in Music Therapy: Supporting the Creative Impulse to Flourish, Hakeem Leonard & Andeline dos Santos

3. Music Therapy and the Brain, Kimberly Sena Moore & Concetta Tomaino

4. Ethics in Music Therapy, Debbie Bates

5. Music Therapy Treatment Process, Amy Clarkson & Carol Lotter

6. Music Therapy Research, Anthony Meadows

II. Approaches to Practice

7. A Framework for Conceptually Locating Music Therapy Practice, Brian Abrams

8. Outcomes in Music Therapy Practice, Bill Matney & Eugenia Hernandez Ruiz

9. Experience-Oriented Approaches in Music Therapy, Suzannah Scott-Moncrieff & Alan Turry

10. Ecological Approaches to Music Therapy, Jasmine Edwards & Katrina Skewes McFerran

III. Music Therapy Practices

- Section A. Development, Identity, and Facets of Human Diversity

11. Music Therapy and Childhood Development, Kristen O’Grady & Amelia Oldfield

12. Music Therapy, Children, and Complex Trauma, CharCarol Fisher & Stephenie Sofield

13. Embracing Multiplicities: Reflections on After-Queer Practices, Maevon Gumble, Braedyn Inmon, & Kay Schachner

14. Music Therapy and Disability, Carolyn Shaw & Maren Metell

15. Music Therapy, Autism, and Neurodiversity, Ming Yuan Low & Daphne Rickson

16. Music Therapy, Healthy Aging, and Dementia, Hanne Mette Ridder & Indra Selvarajah

17. Music Therapy and Spirituality Development, Giorgos Tsiris, Noah Potvin, Faith Halverson-Ramos, & Hilary Moss

- Section B. Music Therapy and Mental Health

18. Music Therapy as a Resource for Mental Health, Peter Jampel & Tríona McCaffrey

19. Music Therapy and Substance Use Disorders, Kathleen M. Murphy & Laurien Hakvoort

20. Music Therapy and Trauma, Gene Ann Behrens & Brian T. Harris

21. Music Therapy, Stress, and Anxiety, Jennifer Sokira & Audrey Hausig

22. Music Therapy and Veterans and Military Members, Diane G. Langston & Sarah Pugliese

- Section C. Music Therapy and Ecological Practices

23. Music Therapy with Refugees: Crossing Borders, Alpha Woodward, Mackenzie Kay Conner, & Krzysztof Stachyra

24. Community Music Therapy with Violence-Affected Youth, Sunelle Fouché, Caley Garden, & Michael Viega

25. Music Therapy and Working with Court Systems, Helen Oosthuizen & Michael L. Zanders

26. Music Therapy and Family Systems Theory, Kathryn Eberle Cotter & Viggo Krüger

27. Environmental Music Therapy in Hospital Environments, Andrew Rossetti & Jingwen Zhang

- Section D. Music Therapy and Medical Practices

28. Music Therapy for Specific Medical Conditions, John Mondanaro & Debra Burns

29. Music Therapy for Rehabilitation of Acquired Neurological Conditions, Jeanette Tamplin & Jess Rushing

30. Music Therapy for Pain Management, Joy Allen & Lisa Gallagher

31. Music Therapy for Procedural Support, Annie Heiderscheit, Juan Pedro Zambonini, Karinne’ Andonian, & Jennifer Manno

32. Music Therapy in Intensive Care, Raymond Leone & Mark Ettenberger

33. Music Therapy at the End of Life, Amy Clements-Cortés & Clare O’Callaghan

Author Index

Subject Index


About the Editors

Michael Viega, PhD, LCAT, MT-BC (he/him), is Associate Professor of Music Therapy at Montclair State University. He has published and presented internationally on a wide range of topics, such as adolescent development and music therapy, popular music cultures in music therapy, therapeutic songwriting and digital technology, and arts-based research methodologies. As a music therapy clinician, he has worked extensively with children and adolescents who have experienced childhood adversity and trauma. Dr. Viega is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery.

Andeline dos Santos, DMus, MA (she/her), is Senior Lecturer in Music Therapy and Research Coordinator for the School of the Arts at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She is a registered Music Therapist whose work focuses on adolescents and youth. Dr. dos Santos’s research interests include investigating empathy from within varying theoretical paradigms, and the implications for music therapy practice; the relationships between empathy and violence and empathy and spirituality; and creative and participatory research methods.

Barbara L. Wheeler, PhD, MT-BC (she/her), is Professor Emeritus at Montclair State University, where she taught from 1975 to 2000. She initiated the music therapy program at the University of Louisville in 2000, retiring in 2011. Dr. Wheeler presents and teaches in the United States and internationally and has been an active clinician throughout her career. She edited or coedited three editions of Music Therapy Research, edited the first edition of Music Therapy Handbook, and is coauthor of Clinical Training Guide for the Student Music Therapist. She has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the World Federation of Music Therapy and the American Music Therapy Association.

Audience

Music, movement, art, and play therapists; clinical psychologists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatrists, including those working or consulting in health care settings; nurses; graduate students in these fields.

Course Use

Serves as a text in such courses as Foundations of Music Therapy and Introduction to Music Therapy.
Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2015
ISBN: 9781462529728
New to this edition: