“Music therapy is a discipline in which Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) use music purposefully within therapeutic relationships to support development, health, and well-being. Music therapists use music safely and ethically to address human needs within cognitive, communicative, emotional, musical, physical, social, and spiritual domains.”

Canadian Association of Music Therapists
September 2020

Music Therapy is the purposeful use of music in addressing psychosocial, emotional, educational, communicative, motor functioning needs within a therapeutic relationship. Music Therapy is a wide scoped practice supporting many different populations including infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors with various needs in functioning. Music can be used in a variety of different ways to support people in their lives and is categorized as being either receptive or active. Receptive approaches are where someone listens to music and has a response to the music either physically or emotionally. For instance, if someone is experiencing an accelerated heart rate receptive music therapy can be used to regulate the rhythm of the heart. Active approaches are where the clients interact in making music together with the therapist.

Within the field of Music Therapy there are many different approaches that have been adopted. Nicholas has an eclectic approach to music therapy in that he is well versed in a few approaches which include Community Music Therapy, Neurologic Music Therapy and Humanistic Music Therapy.

Community Music Therapy (CoMT)

The use of music to promote community development, social resources, activism, awareness to social issues and supporting people in developing their personal strengths through group music making. An example is creating a music program or project, such as an open mic series for youth or establishing a music group for seniors. Another example could even be establishing a karaoke evening for first responders at a hospital. Nicholas’ approach to CoMT includes taking secular musical activities and orienting them to the needs of a specific community or population to promote inclusion, awareness, creative expression and support people in acquiring the social resources they need to be well.

Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)

An evidence-based practice that makes use of twenty standardized musical exercises that can be applied to different areas of functioning including cognition, motor skills and communication.   A non-musical assessment tool is used initially to determine the level of need in the area of functioning; which then is used to determine what musical activity would be most appropriate to use in session (s). The same assessment tool is used post session to determine its effectiveness.  If the correct intervention was used, there should be a notable change in the results of the assessment, for the better.

Humanistic Music Therapy

Humanistic Music Therapy stems from Humanistic Psychology principles. A large contributor to the approach was Carl Rogers (1902-1987) who established concepts regarding the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic setting. These principles ask that the therapeutic environment remain empathetic in that the client’s life experiences are honoured and that the therapist regard the individual with unconditional positive regard and transparency. Within a Humanistic lens, music serves as a medium in which the individual can freely express themselves and explore their innate creative capabilities. Music also serves as a way for the music therapist and client to relate and “ to work together . . . in the interest of addressing therapy goals.” (B. Abrams, 2017, pp.152.).

Individual Sessions

Individual music therapy sessions are dedicated to supporting people in their personal psychosocial needs as well as neurological needs. Individual sessions cater to children, adolescents, adults and seniors who would prefer to have their personal intentions for music therapy met in a 1 on 1 therapeutic setting. These sessions can be done in person or virtually via zoom. Please feel free to contact if you have any other questions: