E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

Wheeler, Barbara: WMFT Proceedings of the Education Symposium
Music Therapy Training in the United Kingdom
Helen Odell-Miller, SRATh (Music Therapy), BAHons, LGSM (MT), M.Phil.
Addenbrookes NHS Trust Mental Health Services and
Anglia Polytechnic University, UK
This presentation was based around slides and therefore has been
edited to fit with the style of the publication, but reflects the summarised
nature of the presentation.
Music therapy training is at postgraduate level in the UK, and music
therapy has recently become a State Registered profession under the
Council for Professions
Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM ) together with Art Therapists and
Dramatherapists. There are six validated training courses, 57 which will have
to be regularly reviewed by the Arts Therapies Board of the CPSM to ensure
standards of training are maintained for public protection.
Why Is Regulation Important?
Generally, state registration exists to protect the public when they
are involved in or seeking treatment. In training terms, if a training course
does not meet required standards it will have to do so, or cease to train
music therapists.
Regulation by Law
As this is now a requirement, there is a need to define basic training.
The music
therapy profession in the UK already had a basic training document, and a
competencies document complied through the Association of Professional
Music Therapists (APMT). The task was therefore to define common
elements with the two other arts therapy professions, ensuring that the
specific professional requirements for music therapy and discrete elements
of each discipline were maintained. Members of the Arts Therapies
Professional Associations, and the Arts Therapies Board of the CPSM (which
has a high level of professional arts therapists as elected members), met
57 Arts Therapies Board JVC Handbook. Obtainable from The Arts Therapies Board CPSM; Park
House, 184 Kennington Park Road; London SE11 4BU. Recognised courses run at the following
institutions at the time of publication:
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre, London
University of Surrey Roehampton, London
Anglia Polytechnic University (Cambridge)
University of Bristol, Avon
Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff
For more information, APMT publications leaflet 'A Career in Music Therapy' gives details.
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