Welcome to Ignite Music Therapy’s November newsletter edition discussing the difference between group and individual music therapy, as well as the benefits of both!

Individuals vs. Groups  
In this month’s newsletter I thought it might be helpful to talk about the benefits of group music therapy vs. individual music therapy and give you some examples of what I am working on with some of the groups that I have currently.

Individual Music Therapy  

Individual music therapy is a great way to target specific goals that a person might have and really just focus on those goals and what the client needs in the moment. Many of the goals I am working on for individual clients are geared towards communication, behavior, and cognitive skills. These are great in the individual setting because we can just focus on these goals instead of also trying to manage a whole group and keep everyone involved. I also have many clients who are working on social goals and although it might seem like this would definitely be something for a group music therapy session, it takes time to teach the skills and progresses at a quicker rate when utilized in individual sessions first, then transferring over those skills into a group setting.

Group Music Therapy

Group music therapy goals definitely include social skills. Many of the skills my groups are working on is taking turns and interacting/communicating with their peers in an appropriate way. You could see then how focusing in on these skills and giving the clients these skills outside of a group setting could be beneficial and then practicing them in a group setting gives them real experience putting those skills into practice. Group settings are also great to have the clients get interaction and experience with their peers. Sometimes clients will be able to interact appropriately with adults, but struggle making relationships with their peers. The group setting helps give them a safe place to practice those skills so that they are more likely to succeed independently.

Contact us!

Both individual and group music therapy can be very beneficial for clients, but also depends on their specific needs and goals. If you have any questions about this month’s topic, email us at info@ignitemusictherapy.com.