While solving mental health needs focuses on group therapy sessions and musical discussion, music therapists can also help increase rehabilitative goals through designed musical tasks or ease pain by using music listening to distract patients and increase relaxation. Nelson works full time at Four Winds, a psychiatric hospital formerly known as Benjamin Rush Center, where she uses music therapy to help patients hospitalized with mental health needs. Music therapists, however, can also be found in schools, medical hospitals and private practice. Building upon her longtime interest and ability in music, Nelson received her master's degree in music therapy at Temple University. Nelson uses different aspects of music to satisfy the needs of her wide range of patients.
Children use melody bells to improve impulse control.
By pointing at the children at different times and instructing them to ring their bell, Nelson says, they learn listening and leadership skills. Adolescent and adult sessions are designed to be a lot more sophisticated and intense. To help troubled adolescents, Nelson writes down the lyrics to popular songs, leaving out key words. She then asks the kids to fill in words that express what they are feeling. They have to listen to the words of a song and then express how it relates to them by picking a certain line or relating what they think about a certain songwriter.