Abstract
Indigenous populations in the United States have an alarming rate of mental health concerns
compared to other populations of similar ages in their geographical locations (Freeman et al.
2016; O’Keefe et al., 2018). Music therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment in
mental healthcare. The growing trend in mental healthcare is preventative medicine (American
College of Preventive Medicine, 2019). Central to preventative mental healthcare is the
identification and utilization of protective factors; a key factor of these is sense of identity within
one’s culture (Coll et al., 2012). This project was developed as a guide to a community music
therapy approach to preventative mental healthcare that highlights the connection to traditional
music and healing practices performed by experts within the community. An 8-session music
therapy program plan includes music therapy interventions that are designed to focus on the
strengths of the community and their leaders while providing psychoeducational factors
communicated by board-certified music therapists.
