Music Therapy is treatment through musical sounds. Music has been used as a therapeutic tool for centuries and has been shown to affect many areas of the brain, including the regions involved in emotion, cognition, sensation, and movement.

Music Therapy uses music to improve and maintain the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals. It involves a broad range of activities, such as listening to music, singing, and playing a musical instrument. This is facilitated by a trained therapist and is often used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and hospices.

Music Therapy tools and methods can include sound healing, chant, mantra rendition, rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), Raga therapy, instrument listening and playing, nature-sounds rendition and intervention etc.

Music can evoke positive emotions. It can stimulate reward centers in the brain. Music Therapy has been seen to alleviate symptoms of mental health concerns such as depression, mood-related concerns, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance dependency, Autism, Personality issues, Insomnia, Dementia etc.

Music therapy can both assess and enhance cognitive, social, emotional, and motor functioning, and studies have shown positive results among individuals who have intellectual or physical difficulties, brain injuries, or Alzheimer’s. This type of therapy has also been used in the treatment of physical ailments such as cancer and hypertension.

In India it is called Raga-Chikitsa or Raga Therapy. It mainly involves therapy through different ragas based on the Chakra sound frequencies. Techniques like raga based movie songs, playing percussion, music composition, bandish-lyrics appreciations are practiced according to the case history and musical background of the client.