A Decade of Change: What the 2025 Global Music Therapy Survey Reveals About the Future of the Profession

Ten years ago, Petra Kern and I asked a basic but important question:

What does music therapy practice look like around the world?

Our original international survey offered one of the first large-scale portraits of the global music therapy workforce. Nearly a decade later, we returned to that question.

The profession we found in 2025 was more confident, more entrepreneurial, more technologically connected, and active across a wider range of healthcare and community settings.

But it was also still confronting many of the same structural problems identified in the original study: limited public recognition, uneven regulation, inadequate compensation, and fragile employment systems.

Here’s the short version:

Music therapy has clearly grown.

The systems needed to support music therapists have not always grown with it.

That tension between professional progress and structural vulnerability is one of the most important findings of the new study.

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Why Repeat a Global Survey?

Workforce surveys do more than count people.

They help us understand:

• Who is entering and remaining in a profession

• Where professionals work

• Who receives services

• How services are delivered

• What barriers affect access and sustainability

• What education, advocacy, and policy priorities should come next

Our first survey, conducted in 2016 and published in 2017, included responses from 2,495 music therapists associated with 19 World Federation of Music Therapy organizations across six world regions.

The 2025 follow-up study replicated and expanded that work. It included 1,183 practicing music therapists representing all eight WFMT regions and 25 professional organizations, with an overall response rate of 67.6%.

To update the questionnaire while preserving meaningful comparisons, we worked with an international focus group of experts representing seven world regions. The revised survey was pilot tested for clarity, accessibility, cultural relevance, and usability before its global launch.

This was not simply a new survey.

It was an opportunity to examine how an entire profession had changed over nearly a decade.

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Five Changes That Stood Out

1. Music Therapists Are Increasingly Creating Their Own Opportunities

In 2016, approximately 16% of respondents reported creating their own positions.

By 2025, that figure had grown to 31%.

That increase reflects creativity, determination, and professional adaptability. Music therapists are identifying unmet needs, developing programs, opening private practices, and building roles that did not previously exist.

But entrepreneurship can tell two stories at once.

Creating new opportunities may indicate professional innovation. It may also mean that established healthcare, education, and community systems are still not creating enough sustainable positions.

The profession’s entrepreneurial growth should therefore be celebrated, but it should also prompt questions about job security, benefits, compensation, and institutional support.

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2. Practice Is Shifting Toward Healthcare and Private Practice

Healthcare settings became increasingly prominent, rising from approximately 35% in 2016 to 46% in 2025.

Private practice also increased, from 21% to 31%.

These changes suggest expanding recognition of music therapy’s relevance to health, rehabilitation, mental health, wellness, and person-centered care.

At the same time, music therapists continue to work across educational and community programs. The profession is not moving into one single setting. It is becoming more flexible and distributed across systems.

That flexibility is a strength, but it can also make professional identity, regulation, funding, and workforce planning more complicated.

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3. Music Therapy Is Reaching More People Across the Lifespan

The 2025 findings showed increased work with several age groups:

• Early childhood involvement increased from 38% to 47%

• Services for school-aged children increased from 51% to 57%

• Services for adults ages 18–64 increased from 53% to 59%

Music therapists reported serving people with developmental disabilities, mental health needs, neurological conditions, medical concerns, and many other needs across the lifespan.

Access pathways also appear to be changing.

Self-referrals increased from 35% to 48%, while caregiver-initiated access increased from 36% to 49%.

These changes may reflect greater awareness among individuals and families, as well as growing interest in directly seeking supportive, nonpharmacological, and relationship-centered forms of care.

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4. Technology Is Now Part of the Professional Landscape

Telepractice was largely absent from the original survey.

In 2025, approximately 18% of respondents reported using it as part of service delivery.

In-person care remains dominant with the relational nature of music therapy remains central, but digital tools and remote formats have become meaningful supplements to practice.

Interest in further education is also strong. Approximately two-thirds of respondents expressed interest in learning more about areas such as artificial intelligence and telepractice.

This does not mean technology should replace human interaction.

It means the profession must learn how to use technology thoughtfully, ethically, and responsibly to support access, documentation, education, communication, and continuity of care.

The next generation of music therapy training will need to prepare professionals for in-person, remote, and hybrid environments.

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5. Clinical Confidence Has Grown—But Systemic Support Still Lags

One of the most encouraging findings was the increase in clinical confidence.

In the original study, approximately 49% of respondents indicated a high level of confidence in their professional skills. In 2025, that figure rose to approximately 70%.

Music therapists increasingly see themselves as capable, adaptable, and prepared to contribute to complex healthcare, educational, and community needs.

However, respondents continued to report low public awareness, inadequate funding, inconsistent regulation, and concerns about equitable compensation.

In other words:

Music therapists may be increasingly confident in what they can contribute, while remaining uncertain that the systems around them fully understand or support that contribution.

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What Has Not Changed Enough

The original study identified several persistent concerns:

• Limited governmental and regulatory recognition

• Inconsistent employment opportunities

• Inadequate or inequitable compensation

• Uneven access to professional education

• Insufficient research visibility

• Vulnerable funding structures

Nearly a decade later, many of these concerns remain.

That does not mean advocacy and professional development efforts have failed. Progress has occurred in many countries and regions.

It does mean that professional growth alone does not automatically produce structural change.

A field can become more skilled, innovative, and visible while still lacking the policies, funding systems, employment protections, and public understanding required for long-term sustainability.

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What the Findings Suggest We Should Do Next

The 2025 survey points toward several priorities for the coming decade.

Strengthen recognition and regulation

Music therapy organizations need coordinated strategies supporting public education, professional recognition, appropriate regulation, licensure where applicable, and clearer integration into healthcare, education, and community systems.

Improve employment and compensation

Professional growth is difficult to sustain when highly trained clinicians remain underpaid, lack benefits, or must continually create their own positions.

Global and regional conversations about compensation benchmarks, labor protections, and sustainable funding are overdue.

Expand access to education

Training and continuing education must be accessible, culturally responsive, and relevant to regional needs.

Curricula should also prepare music therapists for evolving practice areas, including telepractice, trauma-informed care, global health, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ethical uses of emerging technology.

Build cross-sector partnerships

The profession’s future will depend partly on stronger relationships with healthcare leaders, educators, researchers, policymakers, community organizations, technology specialists, and service users.

Music therapy cannot build its future in isolation.

Continue collecting workforce data

One survey cannot answer every question.

Regular workforce research helps organizations identify trends, evaluate progress, support advocacy, and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions.

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A Broader Lesson About Professional Growth

Although this research focuses on music therapy, its findings reflect a challenge faced by many helping professions.

Professionals are often asked to become more innovative, entrepreneurial, technologically fluent, evidence-based, and responsive to growing community needs.

But innovation without infrastructure has limits.

A sustainable profession requires more than talented individuals. It requires:

• Supportive policies

• Accessible education

• Fair compensation

• Clear professional standards

• Reliable funding

• Effective leadership

• Strong partnerships

• Public understanding

The 2025 survey shows a music therapy profession with growing confidence, adaptability, and global relevance.

It also shows that the next decade cannot depend only on individual professionals working harder or creating their own opportunities.

The future must be built collectively.

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Read the Research

Kern, P., & Tague, D. B. (2026). Global music therapy survey 2025: Developments and trends a decade later. Journal of Music Therapy, 63(1), 1–36. DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thag001

Kern, P., & Tague, D. B. (2017). Music therapy practice status and trends worldwide: An international survey study. Journal of Music Therapy. DOI: 10.1093/jmt/thx011

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What changes have you observed in music therapy during the past decade?

Where do you see genuine progress? And where does the profession still need stronger systems, partnerships, and support?

I would be interested in hearing your perspective.

A Clarification on Professional Standards, Public Statements, and Pluralism in AMTA

*Author’s Note

Earlier this year, I published an open letter reflecting on the American Music Therapy Association’s public advocacy role and the importance of representing a diverse membership. That post prompted a thoughtful written response and broader discussion among colleagues.

The essay below is not a point-by-point rebuttal. Rather, it is a clarification of my core concern: how professional organizations can communicate ethically, inclusively, and responsibly in politically polarized times.

A Clarification on Professional Standards, Public Statements, and Pluralism in AMTA

Dear Colleagues,

I appreciate the time and care that went into the detailed response to my original open letter. Engagement at this level reflects a shared investment in the integrity of our field, and I welcome the opportunity to clarify my position in a more focused and constructive way.

My purpose here is not to continue a prolonged debate or to revisit every point raised. Rather, I want to clarify what I am, and am not, arguing, and to propose a path forward that I believe better serves both our clients and the full diversity of our professional community. This response comes after a period of reflection and careful consideration following the original statement, with the aim of contributing a thoughtful and constructive perspective.

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Clarifying the Core Concern

My original letter has been interpreted as advocating for an “apolitical” professional organization. That is not my position.

Professional organizations inevitably operate within social, cultural, and political realities. The question is not whether AMTA ever speaks on public issues. The question is how and when it does so, and whether those decisions are guided by clear, consistent, and professionally grounded standards.

My concern is that recent statements, including the “Stand With Minnesota” post, appear to move beyond those boundaries by:

• Adopting a specific public narrative about a complex civic event

• Directing members toward external advocacy actions

• Doing so without clearly articulating how this aligns with AMTA’s core mission or represents the full diversity of its membership

This is not a concern about compassion or ethics. It is a concern about institutional scope, representational responsibility, and consistency.

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What I Am Arguing For

If I had to summarize my position in one sentence, it would be this:

AMTA should adopt clear, publicly stated criteria for when it issues public statements, how those statements are framed, and when it directs members toward civic or legislative action.

One possible starting point for such criteria could include:

• Mission Linkage
  Public statements are strongest when they maintain a clear and direct connection to music therapy practice, client access to services, clinician well-being, or professional standards.

• Representational Integrity
  As a membership organization, AMTA would benefit from taking particular care when speaking in ways that could reasonably be interpreted as endorsing a specific political framing of contested events.

• Viewpoint Pluralism
  Inclusivity is best understood as including ideological diversity within the profession. Members should not feel that holding a minority viewpoint places them outside the bounds of professional legitimacy.

• Consistency
  Similar types of events can be evaluated through consistent principles, not selectively based on alignment with a particular interpretive lens.

This is not a call for silence. It is a call for discipline in institutional voice.

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On Compassion and Professional Ethics

I want to state this clearly, because it has been a point of misunderstanding:

Nothing in my original letter was intended to diminish the reality of harm, invalidate lived experiences, or oppose efforts to support vulnerable communities.

Compassion, dignity, and ethical care are foundational to our work.

The question, however, is whether a professional association can express those commitments without appearing to adopt a single, contested public narrative as the primary or exclusively ethical framing of complex events. In my view, it can and should strive to do so. A professional organization can affirm human dignity, support those affected by harm, and encourage ethical, trauma-informed care while also leaving room for members to hold differing political or interpretive perspectives on complex public events.

Why This Matters for the Profession

This issue is not abstract for me.

As an educator, clinician, and researcher, I have become increasingly aware that some professionals and students perceive certain viewpoints as difficult to express openly within our field because of potential social or professional repercussions.

That perception, whether fully accurate or not, has real consequences:

• It affects willingness to participate in professional organizations

• It impacts how educators advise students about engagement with AMTA

• It shapes whether members feel represented or alienated

AMTA’s own materials emphasize dignity and respect across differences, including political differences. If that principle is to have meaning, it must extend not only to clients, but to members of the profession itself.

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On Professional Discourse

I want to briefly address the tone of the broader discussion surrounding this exchange.

First, I want to be clear that the written response itself was substantive and professionally presented. While we clearly approached several issues from different assumptions and interpretive frameworks, and at times focused on different questions than those I intended to raise, the response did not read as a personal attack, and I appreciate the level of engagement reflected in it.

My concern arises more from the surrounding discussion in informal spaces, where some of the commentary became dismissive or personal in tone. I recognize that these spaces are not formally moderated, but they still shape the professional climate in which ideas are received and debated.

I raise this not to revisit specific comments, but to underscore a broader point: the way we engage with colleagues who hold differing perspectives matters. If we aim to model inclusivity and ethical practice, that commitment should extend to how we conduct professional disagreement, especially when those perspectives fall outside the prevailing consensus.

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A Path Forward

Rather than continuing to debate individual statements, I believe a more productive step would be for AMTA to:

• Develop and publish clear guidelines for public statements and advocacy

• Define thresholds for when member-directed civic action is appropriate

• Create space for good-faith disagreement without professional marginalization

These steps would not eliminate disagreement. But they would provide a shared framework that strengthens trust, transparency, and cohesion within the organization.

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Final Thoughts

Reasonable professionals can and will disagree on these issues.

My aim is not to resolve those disagreements, but to ensure that the structure within which they occur remains fair, principled, and inclusive of diverse viewpoints.

If this response contributes in any way to a more thoughtful and balanced conversation about AMTA’s role and responsibilities, then it has served its purpose.

Respectfully,
Daniel Tague

For readers interested in the earlier exchange, links to prior posts are available below.

• Original open letter
• Response post

An Open Letter to the American Music Therapy Association: On Professional Neutrality, Ethical Consistency, and Cognitive Responsibility

* If you’re reading this as a follower of the blog, you can receive future posts directly by email here: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1939736/175726236254865315/share

Introduction

I write this open letter as a concerned member and advocate for the music therapy profession. I remain deeply committed to AMTA’s stated mission of advancing ethical practice, promoting access to quality services, and supporting the professional development of music therapists. I also share the grief and concern over the tragic loss of life in Minnesota and the broader psychological harm that violence, fear, and instability cause to individuals, families, and communities.

At the same time, I feel a professional obligation to raise serious concerns about AMTA’s recent public endorsement of the Stand With Minnesota platform. While I understand the humanitarian intent behind this response, the form, framing, and language of this endorsement risk undermining the association’s ethical neutrality, professional credibility, and commitment to impartial, trauma-informed care.

Professional organizations must not only express compassion. They must model intellectual rigor, ethical consistency, and cognitive responsibility. When public advocacy becomes emotionally driven rather than ethically grounded, it risks transforming a professional body into a political actor rather than a stabilizing institution of care.

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On Language, Framing, and De-Escalation

One of the most concerning aspects of the endorsement is its alignment with highly charged language and framing. Platforms that describe federal enforcement as an “occupation” adopt rhetoric that escalates fear and polarization rather than promoting de-escalation, psychological safety, and social stability.

A profession grounded in trauma-informed practice should be particularly cautious about endorsing language that intensifies emotional arousal, identity polarization, and moral absolutism. Healing work depends on reducing threat perception, not amplifying it. Ethical care requires careful attention to how narratives shape fear, cognition, and behavioral responses in vulnerable communities.

AMTA’s public voice carries moral authority. When that voice aligns with emotionally charged advocacy frameworks, it risks eroding trust among members and clients who rely on the profession to remain neutral, stabilizing, and non-partisan.

“Healing professions should reduce polarization, not amplify it.”

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From Background Noise to Intentional Care: What College Students' Music Habits Teach Us About Everyday Regulation

A new issue of Music Therapy Perspectives was just released, officially publishing a study I co-authored on how college students actually use music in their daily lives. While the article has been available online for some time, seeing it in the Fall 2025 issue feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on what these findings really mean beyond academic journals.

Here's the short version:

College students don't need more music.
They need more awareness of how music is already shaping their mood, attention, and stress levels.

And honestly? The same is true for most of us.

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Music Is Already Doing Emotional Work

In our study, first- and second-year college students reported listening to music daily, often for two to three hours at a time. Most of that listening happened alone (in dorm rooms, cars, or through headphones), primarily through streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

When asked why they used music, the answers were strikingly consistent:

• Over 90% reported using music to influence their mood
• Many used music to relieve stress or anxiety
• Others used it to cope with loneliness, boredom, or emotional overload
• Music was frequently used as a way to "escape," "relax," or "take their mind off things"

One student summed it up simply: "Just how I feel during the day."

What stood out wasn't just how often students used music—it was how naturally music had become part of their emotional regulation system, even when they didn't consciously frame it that way.

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10 Science-Backed Ways Music Can Support Heart Health and Reduce Stress

 How music therapy research can help anyone use music more intentionally for well-being.

Introduction

For more than 25 years, I have worked as a board certified music therapist. During that time, I have helped individuals reduce stress, regulate breathing, manage pain, improve sleep, and navigate emotional challenges through the intentional use of music. Over and over, people have asked me a version of the same question:

“Why does no one teach us how to use music for our health?”

Most people rely on music instinctively. They use it to relax, to focus, to motivate a workout, or to help them through difficult moments. Very few people understand why music affects the body the way it does. Even fewer know how to use music in a purposeful, strategic way to influence heart rate, breathing, nervous system responses, and emotional well being.

That gap is what inspired me to write my new book, Music for the Heart, a clear and practical guide for using music intentionally to support heart health and reduce stress.

In this post, I am sharing an overview of 10 science backed tools you can begin using today. These strategies are based on music therapy research, neuroscience, cardiology, psychology, and decades of real clinical experience.

If you want the full set of tools, worksheets, templates, and step by step guidance, you can find the book here:
👉 https://www.musicmakessense.com/shop

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Grounding with the Five Senses — Why It Works, and How Music + Coloring Amplify It

 

Grounding with the Five Senses: Why It Works and How Music & Coloring Make It Stronger

When life feels loud, busy, or overwhelming, our nervous system often shifts into “auto-survival mode”: racing thoughts, muscle tension, shallow breathing, and future worries. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique— naming 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste—is a simple, portable way to bring attention back to the present moment.

In our Grounded by the Five Senses coloring series, we pair this well-known technique with mindful coloring pages and curated music playlists so you can use all five senses in a calm, creative way. This post takes a closer look at what the research says about grounding, why structured coloring helps, and how music can support the process, especially for stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation.

The Science Behind 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding

“Grounding” describes strategies that help shift attention away from distressing thoughts or sensations and back into present-moment awareness. Clinically, grounding is used in anxiety, trauma, and stress-management work as a way to reduce physiological arousal and reorient a person to safety.

A clinical commentary by Imran (2020) describes the 5-4-3-2-1 technique as a structured sensory task that interrupts escalating anxiety by engaging multiple senses in sequence, creating an attentional shift from catastrophic thoughts to observable cues in the environment. This shift is consistent with broader evidence that attentional refocusing and body-based awareness can reduce anxiety and support emotion regulation.

See: 

Imran, A. (2020). Combat Against Stress, Anxiety and Panic Attacks: 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique. Journal of Trauma & Stress Disorders & Treatment, 9(4).

Research in body-psychotherapy also highlights grounding as a measurable, whole-person phenomenon. Shuper Engelhard et al. (2021) developed an observational tool for “groundedness” (including posture, stability, and presence) and argued that grounding reflects integration of bodily, emotional, and cognitive states, which is exactly what sensory exercises aim to support.

See: 

Shuper Engelhard, E., Pitluk, M., & Elboim-Gabyzon, M. (2021). Grounding the Connection Between Psyche and Soma: Creating a Reliable Observation Tool for Grounding Assessment in an Adult Population. Frontiers in Psychology.

Together, these findings support what many people experience anecdotally: guided attention through the senses can help interrupt spirals, reduce distress, and restore a felt sense of “I am here, I am safe.”

Why Mindful Coloring Fits Naturally with Grounding

Coloring is more than a pastime; when done with intention, it naturally aligns with the “see” and “touch” components of 5-4-3-2-1 grounding.

• In a review of structured coloring activities, Ashdown (2018) reported that several experimental studies found reductions in anxiety and negative mood after adults completed specific coloring tasks (for example, mandalas or themed designs).
• Mantzios & Giannou (2018) showed that unguided coloring did not automatically increase mindfulness; however, when mindfulness instructions were included, coloring became more effective as a calming and present-focused exercise. In other words, structure and intention matter.

See:
Ashdown, B. K. (2018). How Does Coloring Influence Mood, Stress, and Mindfulness? Journal of Integrated Social Sciences, 8(1), 1–21.

Mantzios, M., & Giannou, K. (2018). When Did Coloring Books Become Mindful? Exploring the Effect of Structured Coloring Books on Anxiety. Mindfulness, 9(4), 1154–1162.

When you color with awareness of line, shape, pressure, and movement, you are already:

• Noticing what you see: patterns, curves, shadows, and color choices.
• Feeling what you touch: paper texture, the weight of the pencil, gentle repetitive motion.
• Regulating your breath and pace to match slow, rhythmic strokes.

This is precisely the kind of sensory engagement the 5-4-3-2-1 method is designed to create. The pages in the Grounded by the Five Senses series build on this by pairing each illustration with a short, therapeutically informed prompt to guide your attention, turning casual coloring into a grounded, evidence-aligned practice.

How Music Enhances Grounding and Coloring

The “3 sounds you can hear” step is one of the most powerful parts of 5-4-3-2-1. Music can deepen this step by offering predictable, soothing auditory input that supports nervous system regulation.

Multiple peer-reviewed studies highlight the impact of music on stress and anxiety:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis by de Witte et al. (2020) found that music interventions produced significant reductions in both physiological and psychological stress markers across a variety of settings.
• Dong et al. (2023) demonstrated that a 15-minute music intervention for patients after cardiac valve replacement significantly lowered anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure compared to standard care alone.

See:
de Witte, M., Spruit, A., van Hooren, S., Moonen, X., & Stams, G. J. J. M. (2020). Effects of Music Interventions on Stress-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Two Meta-Analyses. Health Psychology Review, 14(2), 294–324.

Dong, Y., Zhang, L., Chen, L.-W., & Luo, Z.-R. (2023). Music Therapy for Pain and Anxiety in Patients after Cardiac Valve Replacement: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 23, 32.

These findings support what many of us feel intuitively: thoughtfully selected music can slow our breathing, soften muscle tension, and shift mood. When paired with coloring, music:

• Provides a gentle, continuous sound to “hook” your attention during the 5-4-3-2-1 practice.
• Helps mask distracting noise, making it easier to stay with the page in front of you.
• Supports a sense of safety and predictability, key elements in regulating the stress response.

That is why each book in the Grounded by the Five Senses series is designed to work beautifully with calm, curated playlists. As you color and read the prompts, the music becomes your “3 sounds,” naturally woven into the grounding process.

Turning Evidence into a Simple At-Home Practice

Here is how you can combine 5-4-3-2-1 grounding, coloring, and music in a way that reflects what the research supports:

1. Set the scene. Choose a quiet spot, soft lighting, your coloring book, and a warm drink.
2. Press play. Start a calming playlist at a comfortable volume.
3. Begin with sight. Take a slow breath. Notice 5 visual details on the page—lines, shapes, shadows, and small textures in the illustration.
4. Engage touch. Notice 4 tactile sensations—the page, the pencil in your fingers, the table under your arms, and your feet on the floor.
5. Listen. Identify 3 sounds—the music, your pencil moving, and your breath. Let those sounds remind you that you are here, not in the worry story.
6. Finish with smell and taste. Gently notice 2 smells and 1 taste (tea, cocoa, a candle, or fresh air).

Color at your own pace. If your thoughts wander, simply return to one of your senses or the next section of the page. Over time, this sequence can train your body to associate coloring and music with safety, regulation, and calm, which is exactly what the research describes as effective grounding.

Why a Grounded Coloring Book Is a Meaningful Gift (for Yourself or Someone You Love)

The holidays and everyday life rarely slow down on their own. Building a small, sensory-based ritual is one way to gently reclaim your attention, your breath, and your body.

The Grounded by the Five Senses series was created with this in mind: mindful illustrations, reflection prompts, and sensory themes (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) that fit naturally with 5-4-3-2-1 grounding and the growing research on music and coloring for stress relief.

If you would like a simple, research-informed tool to support grounding for yourself, your clients, or someone who needs a gentle reset, explore the full series on my Amazon Author Page: Daniel B. Tague – Grounded by the Five Senses Series. Pair a book with a cozy playlist, a favorite mug, and a quiet corner, and you have more than a gift; you have a portable, sensory grounding practice.

Color, Notice, Breathe—Now for Teens

 

Introducing Grounding with the Five Senses: Teen Edition

If life feels extra loud for the teen in your world—school, sports, friends, constant notifications—grounding can help bring attention back to the present. After releasing the adult edition, we heard from counselors, parents, and teens who wanted the same simple approach in a teen voice. So we built it.

Grounding with the Five Senses — Teen Edition blends mindful coloring with short reflection prompts and optional music playlists. Every page is designed to be easy to start, easy to finish, and—most importantly—easy to use when stress spikes.

Why a teen edition?

• Short, doable prompts. One or two sentences guide attention without feeling like homework.

• Teen-centered scenes. Study nooks, skate parks, sneaker walls, concert crowds, cozy corners—familiar places that invite calm.

• Built-in journaling strips. Quick reflection lines help capture “what steadies me” before it slips away.

• Music-supported options. QR links (optional) point to calm-focus playlists that pair well with coloring.

• Single-sided pages. Less bleed-through; use markers or pencils without stress.

What’s inside

• 45 calming scenes organized by the five senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch

• Reflection prompts on every art page

• Therapist-friendly pacing and consistent layouts for individual or group use

• 8.5” × 8.5” single-sided pages (tear-out friendly if needed)

Quick grounding steps teens can try today

No book required—just a minute.

1. 5–4–3–2–1 Scan
   Notice 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste (or a favorite flavor memory). Slow your breathing while you list them.

2. Color + Breathe (60 seconds)
   Pick one shape or area on a page. Inhale as you trace the outline with your finger; exhale as you lightly color it in. Repeat 4–6 times.

3. Sound Anchor
   Play an instrumental track at low volume. Imagine the sound coming from one spot in the room. Each time your mind wanders, gently return to that sound.

4. Temperature + Texture Reset
   Hold a cool water bottle, rub a soft hoodie cuff, or roll a smooth stone in your palm for 30–45 seconds. Describe the sensation in three words.

How the book helps

The teen edition turns the steps above into guided pages. Each section opens with a short “Try this” and a matching coloring scene that spotlights a single sense, followed by a few lines to jot what worked. Over time, teens build a personal “menu” of sensory anchors they can use before tests, after tough practices, or when emotions spike.

Who it’s for

• Teens who color to unwind and refocus

• Counselors and school clinicians integrating art-based grounding in session

• Parents seeking a practical, evidence-informed tool that doesn’t feel clinical

Meet the creators

Daniel B. Tague, PhD, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist with 15+ years of clinical practice, university teaching, and publications on music, mindfulness, and health.
Anne-Marie White, LPC, LCDC is a licensed counselor who supports teens and families using trauma-informed, mindfulness-based care. Together we designed pages teens will actually use—calm, creative, and doable.

Where to get it

Grounding with the Five Senses — Teen Edition is available now on Amazon.
👉 Buy the Teen Edition on Amazon

Want the original for adults? It pairs well with the teen book for families or groups.
👉 See the Adult Edition

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FAQs

Is this therapy?
No. It’s a self-guided resource for grounding and reflection. It can complement work with a counselor.

Markers or pencils?
Either. Pages are single-sided to minimize bleed-through.

Do I have to use the playlists?
No—totally optional. The QR codes simply point to calm, instrumental options many teens enjoy.

Want to try a page first? Grab a printable sampler (one scene + reflection strip).
👉 Download the sampler PDF

Color • Notice • Breathe: A Simple Way to Ground with the Five Senses

 

Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes

When life speeds up, our attention narrows to worries, to-do lists, and what-ifs. One of my favorite ways to widen the lens again is the five-senses grounding approach (often taught as “5-4-3-2-1”). Recently, Anne-Marie White, LPC, LCDC, and I turned this idea into something hands-on and enjoyable: an adult coloring & reflection book that pairs mindful line-art pages with tiny journaling prompts and calm-focus music suggestions.

👉 New release: Grounding with the Five Senses: A Mindful Coloring & Reflection Book for Adults — now on Amazon for $9.99: Get the book

Below is a simple practice you can try today, plus a peek at how the book can support an ongoing routine for you—or in your therapy work with clients.

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A 5-minute grounding routine you can try right now

Set a tiny intention: “I’m taking five minutes to steady my attention.”

1. See (SIGHT)
   Find one object in front of you. Name three details out loud or on paper (shape, color edges, shadow).

2. Feel (TOUCH)
   Place both feet on the floor. Notice two textures (sock/floor, hand/mug, air on skin). Loosen your jaw and shoulders.

3. Hear (SOUND)
   Pause and name one near sound and one far sound without judging them. Let them come and go.

4. Smell (SMELL)
   Take a slow breath and notice what’s present (room, soap, coffee). If nothing stands out, imagine a pleasant neutral scent (citrus peel, clean laundry).

5. Taste (TASTE)
   Sip water or tea; note temperature and aftertaste. If you’re not eating/drinking, notice the neutral taste in your mouth.

Finish with three easy breaths. Inhale for a comfortable count; exhale slightly longer.

That’s it. You’ve just shifted your attention from mental noise to present-moment cues.

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Why add coloring?

Coloring gives your hands a steady, rhythmic task. The simple motor pattern of filling shapes creates a predictable pace that pairs beautifully with five-senses noticing. When you finish, jot a few words about what you noticed—this helps your brain tag the moment as “repeat-worthy.”

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How the book helps (and what’s inside)

Grounding with the Five Senses is built to make that 5-minute routine even easier:

• 45 calming line-art scenes, organized by Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch

• Single-sided pages (marker-friendly) with a reflection strip under each image

• Short prompts that nudge you to notice one pleasant detail

• Hearing section playlist ideas (ambient, minimal piano/strings, lo-fi, acoustic) to support relaxed, steady attention—lyrics optional, volume low

• Consistent layouts so it’s easy to use at home or in therapy sessions

➡️ See it on Amazon: Grounding with the Five Senses

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Try this “color • notice • jot” micro-exercise

1. Pick any page (for example, a beach, forest, or sand tray).

2. Set a 3-minute timer.

3. Color one small area slowly—no rush, light pressure.

4. In the reflection strip, finish one of these prompts:

   • One thing I saw that felt steady…

   • A texture I liked feeling…

   • One sound that helped me stay here…

   • A scent/taste that felt pleasant or neutral…

5. Optional: add a soft, instrumental track. If lyrics pull your attention, skip the music.

Repeat a few times this week and see which sense helps you most.

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For therapists & counselors

• Use a page as a session opener: two minutes of coloring + one line of reflection.

• Match arousal: choose quieter scenes for down-regulation; lightly detailed scenes when gentle engagement helps.

• For homework, ask clients to color one shape per day and write three words in the strip—keep it tiny and repeatable.

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Frequently asked (quick answers)

• Is this a workbook or a coloring book?
  It’s a coloring journal—single-sided art pages with a small guided strip beneath each image.

• Do I need to use music?
  No. Music is optional. We include playlist ideas for readers who enjoy a gentle soundtrack.

• What if I’m not “artistic”?
  Perfect. The goal is a steady activity, not a masterpiece.

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A closing invitation

Whether you color for five minutes or fifteen, the aim isn’t perfection. It’s to notice one steadying detail and let your breath catch up. If that sounds helpful, I think you’ll enjoy the pages we made.

👉 Grab the book on Amazon ($9.99): Grounding with the Five Senses

If you try the routine above, I’d love to hear what sense worked best for you—drop a comment or email me at DanielTague@musicmakessense.com.