Clinical Services: Adult through Geriatric

• Cardiac Rehabilitation • Family Medicine • HIV & AIDS • Intensive Care Units • Maternity • Music & Health Clinic • Oncology • Pain Medicine & Palliative Care • Pulmonary Rehabilitation • Respiratory Step-down Unit • Sickle Cell Anemia • Spinal Cord Conditions • Additional Inpatient Services

Family Medicine

Photo by Stephan Elleringmann

About Family Medicine
The Family Medicine Service manages general medical admissions for children and adults who have selected Family Medicine Service as their primary care provider. Family care is centered on the needs of the entire family from postpartum mothers and newborn babies through geriatrics. Medical and psychosocial issues include both new, acute-onset pathology and long-term chronic care and services. The team gives special attention to the effect that family relationships have on patients' health and seeks to understand how changes in patients' personal relationships, job, or community can affect their health.

Music Therapy in Family Medicine
In working with this large population base, emotional and psychosocial issues that may occur during hospitalization are broad and may include agitation, depression, and isolation. Orientation, self-control, self-expression, attention, memory, and motivation might also be affected or impaired. Physical needs related to hospitalization are equally addressed and may range from shortness of breath to pain to change in mental status. Clinical Services currently available in Family Medicine can include a range of music psychotherapy experiences:

• Familiar music and live improvisation are used to provide the patients with an increasing sense of self, support integration and can stimulate self-expression that may decrease agitation and depression when coping with hospitalization.
• Music therapists offer individual and group bedside sessions as well as group community experiences for patients, families and staff to promote a “home” feel as well as a warm, pleasant and welcoming hospital atmosphere.
• Music therapy sessions include live improvisation, drumming, toning, guided visualization, song writing, song sensitation, active listening and music meditation with the guidance of a music therapist.

Related Research and Articles
For articles from peer-reviewed journals, research studies and authoritative literature, please see the bibliographies in the Suggested Reading section. Additional information is available through Websites listed on the Related Links page.

For Questions and Further Information
For questions and further information about music therapy or referrals for yourself, your loved ones or your patients, please call (212) 420-2704 or email info@musicandmedicine.org.