Serves special needs children and adults. Music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals.

Special Needs Music Therapy offered at Center for Music Therapy

Programs that offer a form of therapy which uses music and music-related activities to address the physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals with mental, physical or developmental disabilities, substance abuse disorders, chronic health conditions or other problems. Music therapists assess emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning, communication abilities, and cognitive skills through musical responses; and design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance and learning through music. Music can thus be used as a passive agent as in the case of listening to music to aid in reminiscence, reality orientation or relaxation; or as an active creative process in which the individual participates in musical production. Through musical involvement in the therapeutic context, clients' abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words.

Music Therapy

Programs that offer any of a variety of therapeutic approaches which are intended to maximize the existing cognitive functioning of people who have Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease or other forms of cognitive impairment. Interventions include structured activities and exercises that are designed for people who have a short attention span and require extra verbal and visual stimulation with the objective of enhancing the individual's perception of the environment, promoting trust, reducing anxiety, avoiding overstimulation and maximizing communication skills.

Dementia Management

Programs that utilize play as a form of catharsis to enable children to express feelings and emotions which, if allowed to build up, could cause or further maladjustment. Play therapy is also used as a tool for diagnosing the source of a child's difficulty.

Play Therapy

Community-based day programs that provide social and recreational opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities who generally have acquired most basic self-care skills, have some ability to interact with others, are able to make their needs known and respond to instructions. The programs use social and recreational activities to help participants develop and maintain basic functional skills, though most will remain in the program on a long-term basis rather than transitioning to more independent settings.

Developmental Disabilities Activity Centers

Programs that help individuals with mental, physical or developmental disabilities, substance abuse disorders, chronic health conditions or other problems develop new interests, sharpen their social skills and gain a sense of self-achievement through a structured series of leisure-time activities which may include arts and crafts, dance, drama, music, sports, games, social gatherings and community outings. Therapy goals may differ for different populations, e.g., improved hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills may be desired outcomes for people with physical disabilities.

Recreational Therapy

Programs that offer any of a variety of therapeutic interventions, which may be used singly or in combination, to address the range of social, language, sensory and behavioral difficulties experienced by children and adults with autism and related disorders. Because of the spectrum nature of autism and the many behavior combinations that can occur, treatment approaches must be tailored to meet the individual needs of each person. Included are behavioral and communication development approaches, specialized curricula and sensory integration; biomedical and dietary treatments including psychiatric medications, vitamins and minerals (such as Vitamin B6, magnesium and essential fatty acids), treatment using the hormone secretin and special diets; and various complementary therapies such as music, art or equestrian, speech, physical or occupational which may be used on an individual basis or integrated into an educational program.

Autism Therapy

Provides child and family counseling for youth, ages birth through 24. Can provide services at many area schools and in the community, as well as at any Akin site. Common issues are depression, school behavior problems, and family conflicts.

Child and Family Counseling offered by Akin at Renton

Provides individual, family and group counseling for youth ages birth through 18, and their families. Also provides services at schools in Renton and Tukwila.

Programs that specialize in the treatment of children from infancy to age 12 who have adjustment problems, behavior problems, emotional disturbances, a personality disorder or incipient mental illness.

Child Guidance

Community-based outpatient facilities that offer individual, group, conjoint and family counseling, therapy groups, medication and other mental health services for community residents, especially those who are indigent, who have acute or chronic psychiatric disorders or who may be experiencing difficulty resolving personal or interpersonal conflicts or making personal adjustments to stressful life situations such as separation, divorce, loss of a spouse or a child, poor health, unemployment, family violence, delinquency or substance abuse. Included may be city and county-operated and nonprofit facilities.

Community Mental Health Agencies

Outpatient facilities that offer a variety of counseling services for individuals, couples, families and extended family groups who may be experiencing difficulty resolving personal or interpersonal conflicts or making personal adjustments to stressful life situations such as separation, divorce, widowhood, loss of a child, poor health, unemployment, family violence, delinquency or substance abuse.

Family Counseling Agencies

Programs that offer PCIT, a behavior management program that helps parents learn new ways to eliminate destructive behaviors in young children such as physical aggression, swearing, defiance, and disrespect to adults. PCIT places emphasis on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship by changing parent-child interaction patterns. It combines one-on-one coaching for parents by a trained PCIT therapist using structured child-parent play activities. The therapist uses a two-way mirror to watch the family interact and provides continual, real-time feedback, directions and encouragement through a hearing-aid-size radio receiver worn by the parent. Parents are first taught how to give praise for positive behavior and, when the parent and child have mastered the skills and the relationship has improved, move to the second phase of the process where discipline is introduced for negative behaviors.

Parent Child Interactive Therapy

Programs that specialize in the treatment of adolescents, usually age 12 or 13 through 17, who have adjustment problems, behavior problems, emotional disturbance, a personality disorder or incipient mental illness. The programs may help youth troubled by low self-esteem, social isolation, peer pressure, bullying, school performance issues, truancy, anger management issues, family problems, grief and loss, sexual promiscuity, sexually transmitted infection, alcohol or drug addiction, eating disorders, oppositional and defiant behaviors, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts or other difficult issues.