Music therapy is very similar to other professions such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, in that it strives to achieve goals through measured progress. The name, “music therapy,” is unique in that it describes the medium of the therapy, not the need it addresses. Therefore, music therapy addresses a variety of need areas, including speech/communication, physical/motor, cognitive/memory, behavior, social, emotional and sensory, through the medium of music that is structured in research-supported interventions. As in other traditional therapies, objectives are set and measured through data collection and objective observations to determine patient/client progress in the therapy. See samples below:
| Goal Area | Goal | Objective |
| Communication | To decrease the tempo of spoken communication. | Client will decrease the rate of spoken communication from X to a rate of Y for 3 consecutive sessions. |
| Motor | To improve gross motor functioning of upper extremities. | To demonstrate full extension of upper left and right arms on musical cue in 3 consecutive sessions. |
| Cognitive | To learn multiplication. | To demonstrate accurate recall of multiplication facts 0-3 through song,, rhythm, verbal statement, or combination, in 3 consecutive sessions. |
| Behavior | To learn coping skills. | To demonstrate appropriate coping skills in school scenarios in 3 consecutive sessions |
| Social | To learn social greeting. | To recall and demonstrate the steps of the “Greeting Song” accurately in 3 consecutive sessions. |
| Emotional | To increase appropriate expression of frustration or anger. | To appropriately express frustration or anger through instrument play or verbal statement in 50% of opportunities in 3 consecutive sessions. |
| Sensory | To increase comfort with loud sounds. | To listen to sounds at mezzoforte dynamic level (Up to 79 dB) for 10 second intervals in 3 consecutive sessions. |