NMT™ License and Professional Affiliation Program
What is the NMT™ License and Professional Affiliation Program?
The Neurologic Music Therapy® License and Professional Affiliation program represents a distinguished group of nearly 3,000 practicing Neurologic Music Therapy® professionals in 69 countries around the world who have committed to upholding the integrity of Neurologic Music Therapy® and preserving it for generations to come. The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy® maintains a directory with all current NMT™ Professional Affiliates of the Academy who are current and have signed the License Agreement.
What is the purpose behind the NMT™ License and Professional Affiliation Program?
The purpose of the Neurologic Music Therapy® License and Professional Affiliation Program is to uphold and maintain the integrity of best practices of the Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT™) system of standardized techniques thereby safeguarding NMT™ Professionals, the consumers of NMT™, and the public at large. As a Professional Affiliate of the Academy, practicing within the Neurologic Music Therapy® system of techniques and principles, you have the capacity to profoundly improve the lives of others and benefit from the Academy’s dedicated efforts to ensure excellence in the field. The principles of Neurologic Music Therapy® are of exceptional value and warrant protection. These terms and conditions are essential to preserving the integrity of NMT™ for future generations. This license grants you the privilege to be part of a distinguished group, allowing you to practice as a Neurologic Music Therapy® professional and a Professional Affiliate of the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy®.
How can I obtain the NMT™ License and Professional Affiliation status?
The License and Professional Affiliation can only be earned by the completion of the International Training Institute in NMT™ through the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy®. All training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)® is provided directly through the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy® and there are no university, training, nor certification programs outside of the Academy that grant licensed permission to use the NMT™ designation or NMT™ System of Techniques. The license and professional affiliation can only be maintained and renewed by following the standards and terms for NMT™ Professional Affiliation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different categories of NMT™ Professional Affiliation?
Through this agreement, the Affiliate becomes licensed to use some associated NMT™ Intellectual Property based upon their particular professional affiliation. For some affiliations, this is what gives the Affiliate the rights to call themselves things such as an NMT™ and the right to tell others that Affiliate is an NMT™ professional affiliate. What is licensed to the Affiliate (and, for some, an Associated Business) varies by the professional affiliation involved. The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy® maintains 8 Professional Affiliation Categories that define representation, responsibility, and the level of expertise and engagement in the advanced practice of NMT™.
Who is required to sign the Neurologic Music Therapy® License and Professional Affiliation Agreement?
All Professional affiliates and Student affiliates of the Academy are required to sign the Neurologic Music Therapy® License and Professional Affiliation Agreement if they wish to use the Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT™) marks in any capacity (e.g., clinical services, marketing, websites, publications, education).
How does the Professional License and Affiliation Program benefit me as an NMT™ Professional?
In short, the NMT™ License and Professional Affiliation Program exists
- To uphold and maintain best practices of the Neurologic Music Therapy® (NMT™) system of standardized techniques
- Safeguard both the consumers of NMT™ and the public at large.
- To preserve and protect the integrity of NMT™ for future generations.
This benefits you as an NMT™ Professional by:
- Providing legal protection for you and your clients
- Increasing opportunities for reimbursement
- Providing the license and right to use certain aspects of the NMT™ Intellectual Property, to use the NMT™ materials, and to apply the NMT™ principles as outlined as long as you:
- Comply with all terms and conditions of this agreement and all policies for the applicable professional affiliation
- Meet the requirements of the applicable professional affiliation
Do I need to sign the contract if I am a student?
Do I need to sign the contract if I am an allied professional?
What is the difference between a license and a licensure?
A license is:
- Formal permission from an authority, granted in recognition of an individual who has met pre-determined qualifications specified by that organization
- Licensed individuals have demonstrated the level of knowledge and skill required in the profession
- Provides the public and other stakeholders confirmation that an individual has successfully completed a certification process and demonstrated the ability to perform their profession competently
A licensure is:
- A state or government authorities’ granting of legal authority to practice a profession within a designated scope of practice
How may I use the Neurologic Music Therapy® and NMT™ names, logos, and trademarks in marketing, websites, and clinical materials, and what uses are prohibited?
You may use the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy Logo on your website as long as it is linked to the Academy website: nmtacademy.co. If there is a time that the logo is used without text, it must be clearly associated with the Academy of NMT™ and linked to the Academy website. You can download the logos from our marketing materials under Additional Materials: https://nmtacademy.co/marketing-materials-for-affiliates/.
To maintain the integrity of best practice in NMT™, and thus protect consumers of NMT™ and the public in general, please remember to accurately represent the following trademarked terms, using the ® and ™ symbols properly on your websites, marketing materials, publications, etc. When using any abbreviation alone, use the (™) when you can. This indicates that it is not registered but the trademark is implied by its association to NMT™. You may want to link the list of the ANMT™ intellectual property to your website, https://nmtacademy.co/neurologic-music-therapy-academy-inc-intellectual-property-listing/.
Make sure that you properly identify what NMT™ is and if your practice incorporates other things outside of NMT™, make sure to set them apart from what you provide as an NMT™ Professional Affiliate.
You can find detailed information about how to properly represent yourself here: https://nmtacademy.co/terms-and-conditions/
Do I need to use the trademark in my signature?
The trademark is assumed when listing your designation – you do not need to always list the ™ or ® when signing paperwork, etc.
As a reminder, the NMT™ professional affiliate is encouraged to represent their NMT™ designation after their name and on all paperwork.
Short Ex: Johanna Doe, MT-BC, NMT™
Long Ex: Music Therapist-Board Certified, Neurologic Music Therapy® Music Therapist
What are my responsibilities as a business owner?
If you are a business owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that all practitioners listed as NMT™ therapists in your business are current professional affiliates of the Academy by checking the NMT™ registry, Find NMT Services – Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy®.
Can I include “Neurologic Music Therapy®” or “NMT™” in my business name, and what approvals or disclosures are required if I do?
Using the marks as or within a business name requires prior written permission. Most licensees should use the marks descriptively (e.g., “provides Neurologic Music Therapy® services”) rather than as a brand or corporate name. If permission is granted, you must follow the exact naming, symbol, and attribution requirements provided.
Notice that these rights exist only so long as Affiliate is otherwise licensed and is so involved with that Associated Business and that Affiliate has the authority to and does bind them to the agreement. If Affiliate leaves them/it, loses adequate control, or stops providing such licensed activities through them/it, those rights immediately and automatically cease and it/they must, and agree to, remove all such uses. It/they can only promote Neurologic Music Therapy® status and the like because of Affiliate.
I offer both NMT™ Services and non-NMT™ Services. Can I still represent myself as an NMT™ Professional?
Yes, please continue to list your professional affiliation with the Academy. Please ensure that you are properly identifying both the NMT™ Services that you offer and if your practice incorporates other things outside of NMT™. You can find recommended definitions and resources to use here: https://nmtacademy.co/terms-and-conditions/
Who do I contact—and how do I proceed—if I observe misuse of Neurologic Music Therapy®/NMT™ intellectual property or have questions about compliance?
Any questions about the License and/or Professional Affiliation program should be directed to membership@nmtacademy.co. Concerns about misuse or misrepresentation of Neurologic Music Therapy® should be directed to ethics@nmtacademy.co.