EP/54: MUSIC as MEDICINE

Music is the Best Medicine with Dr. Joy Allen

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We all know that music can be soothing; it can reflect your mood or enhance it - it can even change it. But did you know that it can be used as therapy for a wide range of conditions? We wanted to learn about music therapy and how it works, so we reached out to Dr. Joy Allen, a licensed music therapist and thought leader in the field.   

Joy is an accomplished clinician, researcher and educator with extensive experience in psychological health, pain management, and trauma-informed education and supervision. She presents at music therapy and music-and health-related conferences. She is the editor of Guidelines for Music Therapy: Adult Medical Care, authored chapters on adult oncology, pain management, and medical music therapy. She serves in numerous capacities for the American Music Therapy Association - and is the founding and acting director of the Music and Health Institute. We reached Joy in Boston, MA.

About JOY

Joy Allen, Ph.D., MT-BC, is an accomplished clinician, researcher, and educator with extensive experience in psychological health, pain management, and trauma-informed education and supervision. She has presented on her work at several peer-reviewed conferences, including regional, national and international music therapy and music- and health-related conferences. She is the editor of Guidelines for Music Therapy: Adult Medical Care, and author of chapters on adult oncology, pain management, and medical music therapy. Allen regular consults with community and higher education leaders on music therapy programs and curriculum development. She continues to serve in numerous capacities for the American Music Therapy Association, including as the executive board chair for the New England region, as well as serving on the Research Committee, Assembly of Delegates, and the Judicial Review Board. Lastly, she has served as a reviewer for the following journals: Nordic Journal of Music Therapy; Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy; and Music and Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Journal.   

Allen routinely collaborates with educational, health care, and community leaders on the design and implementation of music and health-centered programs that incorporate music experiences to make an impact on the overall quality of life. This includes identifying health-related outcomes being addressed within these programs, as well as identifying the resources to ensure sustainability outside of structured individual and group experiences, whether this would be done through the process of trained community musicians, music therapists, and advocates, or through technological advances. In addition to chair responsibilities, Allen is the founding and acting director of the Music and Health Institute.

Learn more about Joy’s work at the Berklee College of Music & Health Institute at: college.berklee.edu/music-health-institute Connect with Joy at: college.berklee.edu/people/joy-allen.