How Music Affects the Brain to Benefit Mental Health

Friday, January  23, 2026
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Zoom Webinar

Registration Fee: $25

OVERVIEW:  Music therapy is an effective treatment for depression and people experiencing depression often report using music to regulate their mood and cope with symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, variability in symptom profiles and music-related experiences, as well as variability in music interventions themselves make it challenging for clinicians to incorporate empirically supported music interventions into their practice. Our ambition is to understand the underlying neurocognitive and physiological mechanisms by which music impacts mental health. We will describe how emotional music is processed in the brain and how this may be useful in creating effective, targeted treatments for depression.

OBJECTIVES: After attending this Zoom webinar, the participant will be able to:

• Name three specific brain regions functionally disrupted by depression,   
• Explain the difference between emotional valence and emotional arousal, 
• Formulate strategies to integrate bottom-up automatic emotional appraisal of music into management and treatment of depression.  

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This continuing education Zoom webinar is designed for case managers, social workers, psychologists, therapists, counselors, and health care workers.  The community is also invited to attend. 

CONTINUING EDUCATION:                                                              
Mental Health America of the Heartland is a pre-approved provider for social workers through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) Provider Number 17-007. This continuing education provider is approved 1.5 hours for social workers and accepted for psychologists, professional counselors, masters prepared psychologists, marriage and family therapists and addiction counselors.

In order to receive continuing education credit and a certificate of attendance for this Zoom webinar, you will be required to participate in the Zoom webinar. You will receive a Zoom invitation via email within a week of webinar. Also you will need to take an online exam and complete an evaluation that will be sent in a separate email after the live Zoom webinar. You must pass the test by 70%. The Zoom webinar will not be available by recording and viewing at any other time.