South New Jersey Hospice Music Therapy

Our South NJ hospice music therapy services weave together each patient/family’s individual goals and objectives with their unique personal music history and preferences, designing a course of therapy that utilizes primarily live music (including guitar, piano, voice, and/or various percussion instruments) as well as receptive/listening-based interventions during music therapy sessions. Music therapy experiences within end-of-life care may include any of the following:

• Singing songs: any combination of music therapist, patient, or family singing preferred, familiar songs as a means to reminisce and validate patient’s life history, and as a normalizing experience for patients/families in the present
• Music-assisted relaxation: providing individualized live or recorded music with guided discussion, imagery, or mantras to help patients decrease pain, anxiety, or discomfort
• Song lyric discussion: listening to and analyzing live or recorded music as a means of identifying, relating to, and processing patient and family grief-related emotions and experiences
• Instrumental improvisation: playing rhythmic or melodic instruments with music therapist or family as a non-verbal means to identify, express, and validate emotions. Outside of the hospice care setting, this form of music therapy is often utilized when helping children identify and express emotions
• Songwriting and composition: working with music therapist to give voice to feelings or experiences related to hospice journey by writing original song(s) containing lyrics, acoustic, and/or virtual instruments
• Song parody: re-writing portions of a known song to reflect and express a patient’s and families’ own emotions and experiences
• Music legacy projects: Creating a CD of songs that have been important to patient, have accompanied significant life milestones, or are dedications to loved ones. The CD’s are often given to family and friends, creating a lasting and meaningful connection both before and after death
• Planning music for funeral or memorial service
• Procedural support music therapy: providing live music to help refocus patient’s and/or families’ awareness from potentially stressful or painful procedures such as wound care

Please check with your hospice team to find out if you or your loved one is eligible for music therapy. Music therapy is offered in select hospice care locations.