A Review of the Current Status of CBT Music Therapy Techniques in Music Education Practice

This paper reviews 32 empirical studies on the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) music therapy techniques in K-12 and college students, focusing on its effects on anxiety relief, learning motivation, and mental health improvement. Research has shown that CBT has significant potential for use in music education, significantly reducing students' anxiety levels (effect size d=0.73), improving learning efficiency, and promoting mental health. It is worth noting that, in a pioneering exploration of real-life ecological contexts, the current study has successfully demonstrated that music-based Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT/CBT) education possesses an important characteristic, it is able to effectively regulate both positive and negative emotions at the same time. This is a significant result, which provides a new theoretical foundation for the subsequent application of CBT in school settings, as well as a direction for practice.