Music Therapist as Healthcare Professional
Summer thoughts on a law
A legislative simulation on the recognition of the music therapist as a healthcare figure in Italy. A structured draft law, grounded in scientific evidence and comparison with European models, that finally addresses the regulatory limbo in which the profession has existed for decades.
Download the free PDF →Context: decades of regulatory limbo
After decades of debate, conferences and promises, music therapy in Italy remains in a regulatory limbo that penalises qualified professionals and deprives citizens of a service that has been established for over twenty years in many European countries. Since the 1990s, bills presented in both houses of Parliament have attempted to regulate the profession — with still insufficient results.
This document is not a formal proposal addressed to institutions, but a theoretical exercise demonstrating how a law could be structured: with arguments, articles, transitional provisions and international comparison. An invitation to think concretely about the profession's future.
Document structure
Scientific evidence of effectiveness · Role in mental health and neurorehabilitation · Evolution of training framework · International comparison · Strategic opportunities (Bologna 2026)
Art. 1 – Establishment of the healthcare profession · Art. 2 – Scope of activities and competencies
Art. 3 – Training requirements · Art. 4 – Professional register · Art. 5 – Professional practice · Art. 6 – Inclusion in essential health services
Art. 7 – Transitional provisions · Art. 8 – Financial provisions · Art. 9 – Entry into force
Appendices: Summary table · National and regional bills (historical review) · Regional administrative acts · Parliamentary questions, motions and resolutions · Glossary · Bibliography
Who it's for
- → Music therapists who want to understand the current regulatory framework and its gaps
- → Students questioning the future of the profession in Italy
- → Representatives of professional associations engaged in advocacy
- → Anyone interested in the professional recognition of arts therapies
Download the PDF — it's free
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. Share freely with attribution.
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