Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) Practice Exam

What is a primary focus of music therapy when working with clients?

1. To provide entertainment and enjoyment

2. To assess and improve communication skills

3. To facilitate emotional expression and coping

4. To diagnose psychological conditions

The correct answer is: To facilitate emotional expression and coping

The primary focus of music therapy when working with clients is to facilitate emotional expression and coping. This aspect is fundamental to music therapy practice as it utilizes music to help clients express feelings that may be difficult to articulate through words. By engaging with music, clients can explore their emotions in a safe and therapeutic environment, which often leads to increased self-awareness and improved emotional regulation. Music therapists employ various musical activities—such as songwriting, improvisation, and listening—to help clients process their emotions, cope with stress, and develop strategies for managing life's challenges. This focus on emotional expression can be particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, or chronic illness, as it can provide a means of exploring and articulating complex feelings. While entertaining clients and improving communication skills can be components of music therapy, they are not the primary goals. Entertainment alone does not provide the therapeutic benefit that comes from engaging deeply with emotions. Similarly, while assessment and improvement of communication skills may occur, it is typically seen as a secondary outcome of facilitating emotional expression and not the central objective of practice. Diagnosing psychological conditions falls outside the scope of music therapy and should be the responsibility of licensed mental health professionals, further emphasizing that the main role of a music therapist is to support emotional