Music Therapy Program
Our music therapy program supports children, adolescents and young adults undergoing treatment for cancer, blood disorders and blood and marrow transplantation. Pediatric music therapy in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is specifically designed to support patients’ physical, cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing with evidenced-based interventions.
A Collaborative Approach
Our board-certified music therapists partner with members from both the psychosocial and medical teams, including psychologists, child life specialists, art therapists, nursing and more! Music therapists use music as their main tool to help patients and families at any stage of treatment.
Contact Information
To reach the Music Therapy Program, contact the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at 202-476-2140.
Music Therapy Can Play a Vital Role in Providing Holistic, Individualized Care for Patients and Families
Our pediatric music therapists support a wide range of goals using interventions that are supported by current research. Music therapy can:
- Support pain management
- Reduce anxiety
- Increase movement
- Offer family support
- Provide normalization
- Promote self-expression
- Offer legacy-making opportunities
- Help develop positive coping skills
- Improve mood
- Provide developmental support
Features of Our Program
Our music therapy program is referral-based. If you are interested in our services, please reach out to your team to make a referral.
Music therapy sessions can look different every time a music therapist comes to visit. These sessions can include:
- Patients or families playing their instrument of choice together as a group, or to their preferred music
- Music therapist playing a live instrument (such as guitar, piano or percussion) while providing directed sensory-focused imagery to reduce a patient’s anxiety or pain
- Moving to music to support physical therapy goals
- Singing favorite or made-up songs
- Songwriting or beat-making to promote creative expression and processing of hospital experience
- Playing music-based games for normalization and positive coping
- Engaging in relaxation experiences to counteract the body’s stress response or to redirection from discomfort associated with procedures or treatment
Music Therapy Internship
The Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is proud to be a National Roster Internship site through the American Music Therapy Association. We offer two internships, one from January to July and one from June to November each year. Learn more and review our application information by emailing our team.
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