Music therapists are calling for more funding so they can reach people in need of mental health and well-being support.
"There's a mental health crisis in New Zealand at the moment and music therapy is really well placed to help address that," Megan Glass, who has been a music therapist for more than 20 years, said.
Music therapy is a practise using music to help a range of people with health and personal growth. It can be applied in schools, hospitals, prisons, and care facilities to help treat conditions such as dementia, stroke recovery, and a range of mental health conditions.
There are more people wanting music therapy in New Zealand than there are therapists who can provide it, according to Glass.
"Getting more people into the regions would be wonderful, for that we really need to see funding," she told 1News.
There are currently 88 registered music therapists in New Zealand. However, Music Therapy New Zealand says around 260 are needed to meet demand.
Music therapy is also helpful for those with neuro-divergent conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, enabling a different channel of communication.
Maya James, 11, has been attending the Little Musical Caravan for more than a year now for music therapy sessions. The caravan travels around primary schools in the Wellington region.
"I want to play like in the Beatles," Maya said. He said the sessions make him feel "really great".
It helps him manage sensory overload, which can happen when the brain can't process sensory input and becomes overwhelmed.
"For somebody like Maya, who can't perhaps hear what's going on in the classroom environment, having the opportunity to build one-on-one relationships has been a really good thing," music therapist Emily Hunt, who runs the sessions, said.
She said he has grown hugely since starting music therapy.
But Hunt told 1News it's a relatively young field, and isn't as well established in New Zealand as it is in countries like the UK.
"We're still trying to spread the word about what music therapy is and what it can do," she said.
Hunt said training more music therapists would help bring the practise to the wide range of people who can benefit from it.
"We need more music therapists here."
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