scholarly journals Music Therapy with Active-Duty Service Members: Group Protocol Description and Secondary Analysis of Protocol Evaluations

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177
Author(s):  
Rebecca Vaudreuil ◽  
Jacelyn Biondo ◽  
Joke Bradt
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapy Group ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Subsequent Treatment ◽  
Interdisciplinary Treatment ◽  
Service Members ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Session Evaluations

Abstract Based on the growing need for music therapy programming at military treatment facilities and clinics that specialize in the rehabilitation of service members, this article describes a music therapy group protocol and the findings of 201 post-session evaluations. In addition, we present clinical perspectives and recommendations from three music therapists who have facilitated this group protocol on four military bases across the United States. The group session outlined in the protocol is intended as an introduction to music therapy. It familiarizes service members to various music therapy experiences specifically structured to enhance feelings of safety during emotional risk-taking. In addition, the protocol functions as an initial assessment of service members’ responses to the various receptive and interactive music experiences and includes psychoeducation regarding the role of music therapy in an interdisciplinary treatment model. The post-session evaluation data suggest that service members endorsed this introductory group as moderately to very helpful. Perceived benefits included the opportunity to express various emotions and increased awareness of somatic responses through music. A large number of requests for continued music therapy services following the introductory session suggest that the protocol is successful in facilitating understanding in service members regarding the potential benefits of music therapy in interdisciplinary treatment. Feedback from the music therapists indicated that the group protocol is a helpful initial experience for service members to acclimate to music therapy and for music therapists to learn about their patients’ specific needs to inform subsequent treatment.

Ethical Issues in Private Practice: A Phenomenological Investigation of Music Therapy Business Owners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Wilhelm ◽  
Lindsey Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists

Abstract As a music therapy private practice is both a business and a healthcare service, it should adhere to ethical standards from both disciplines. However, this topic has rarely been examined in the music therapy literature. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore ethical dilemmas experienced by music therapy business owners (MTBOs) in their private practice and how MTBOs avoid or address ethical dilemmas. Utilizing convenience and snowball sampling techniques, 21 MTBOs in the United States were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. To answer the two areas of inquiry, we identified three themes and 12 subthemes: (1) Ethical issues related to client welfare, (2) Ethical issues related to business relationships and operation, and (3) Strategies to address or avoid ethical dilemmas. MTBOs also shared how they ensure ethical behavior in themselves, with their employees or independent contractors, and when interacting with professionals outside the private practice. These findings provide a better understanding of MTBOs’ lived experiences of ethics in their private practice and may benefit other music therapists who are in private practice or are wanting to go into private practice. Limitations and recommendations for further research are provided.

Telehealth Music Therapy Services in the United States With Older Adults: A Descriptive Study

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Wilhelm ◽  
Kyle Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
The United States ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
Therapy Sessions

Abstract In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many music therapists in the United States turned to telehealth music therapy sessions as a strategy to continue services with older adults. However, the nature and perception of telehealth music therapy services for this age group are unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe music therapy telehealth practices with older adults in the United States including information related to session implementation, strengths and challenges, and adaptations to clinical practice. Of the 110 participants in the United States who responded to the survey (25.2% response rate), 69 reported implementing telehealth music therapy services with older adults and responded to a 32-item survey. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Results indicated that while all participants had provided telehealth music therapy for no more than 6 months, their experiences with telehealth varied. Based on participant responses, telehealth session structure, strengths, challenges, and implemented changes are presented. Overall, 48% of music therapists reported that they planned to continue telehealth music therapy with older adults once pandemic restrictions are lifted. Further study on the quality, suitability, and acceptability of telehealth services with older adults is recommended.

Music Therapy for Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Cancer

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Reid
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Subsequent Treatment ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Music Therapist

Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing the subsequent treatment challenges coping and equilibrium for children and adolescents and their families. This chapter describes how music therapists work with children, adolescents, and family members in cancer care contexts. A range of musical experiences can provide adjunct support to medical treatments to support coping, reduce distress, and provide comfort. The music therapist works as a member of the interdisciplinary team to provide opportunities fornormaland fun musical experiences to support the experience of hospitalization, as well as offering comfort and support for children in pain or distress. Research evidence supports the role of the music therapist in providing effective services with children and adolescents in cancer care.

Expanding a Music Therapy Business Using AMTA’s Aspirational Code of Ethics

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Meredith Roman Pizzi
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Applied Ethics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Ethical Decisions ◽  
Therapy Services ◽  
Trust Law

Abstract While all music therapists look to the Code of Ethics as a guiding document, music therapists who are self-employed or managing teams rely heavily on this document to create sound business and administrative policies. This article articulates how the 2019 Code of Ethics informs the music therapy entrepreneur or manager to make thoughtful, accountable, and ethical decisions, decreases confusion about specific business practices, and addresses significant concerns related to aspects of the previous AMTA Code of Ethics that were in conflict with federal anti-trust regulations in the United States, including the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. To address the legal and ethical issues inherent in expanding a service business, a discussion guided by the 2019 Code of Ethics and the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (2009) model is provided as a way to think through potential ethical dilemmas when considering subcontracting music therapy services.

scholarly journals Virtual Music Therapy: Developing New Approaches to Service Delivery

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-156
Author(s):  
David Knott ◽  
Seneca Block
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Service Delivery Models ◽  
Initial Wave ◽  
Traditional Service ◽  
Virtual Services ◽  
Delivery Models

Abstract As the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic transforms our society, music therapists must adapt service delivery models that ensure client safety. Given the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities and lack of personal protective equipment in many settings, music therapists are faced with the need to shift delivery models in order to provide safe and relevant services. Telehealth is one solution to these current service delivery challenges. Music therapists possess a depth of practice-based knowledge and understanding of client populations, which enables them to develop virtual services, matching both the clinicians’ and clients’ technical capabilities. Developed during the initial wave of COVID-19 infections in the United States, this article describes the coauthors’ three-tiered scaffold model intended to support the program development and deployment of virtual music therapy (VMT) services. The model describes an approach to developing VMT services that directs the clinician’s goals of care in formats that are accessible, appropriate, and best meet the patient/client’s needs and abilities. The severity and lasting nature of this worldwide health crisis and its disruption of traditional service delivery models require clinicians and researchers to develop the most effective uses of VMT while considering its limits with regard to clinical populations and need areas.

scholarly journals Feminist Music Therapists in North America: Their Lives and Their Practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Community Music ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
The Impact

This survey study investigated the lives and practices of those in North America who self-identify as feminist music therapists. Earlier reports from this survey studied: 1) the experiences of music therapists, with a comparison of men, women, and their 1990 counterparts (Curtis, 2013d); 2) the experiences of music therapists who self-identify as community music therapists (Curtis, 2015); and 3) the experiences of music therapists in Canada as they compare with their U.S. counterparts (Curtis, in press, a). This current and final report explored the experiences of those in Canada and the United States who self-identify as feminist music therapists (50 from the 682 respondents). Areas of similarities and differences were noted between feminist music therapy respondents, Community Music Therapy respondents, and survey respondents as a whole. Similarities existed in terms of: age; gender (predominantly female) and ethnicity makeup (predominantly Caucasian); career satisfaction; and degree and nature of concerns in their lives. Differences existed in that: 1) greater numbers of feminist music therapy respondents worked in academic settings and had higher levels of education; 2) more feminist music therapists felt there was an impact of sex discrimination in peoples’ lives than did the community music therapists, or survey respondents as a whole (98%, 68.5%, and 67% respectively); 3) more feminist music therapy respondents held concerns about discrimination across many other intersections such as race/ethnicity and sexual orientation (98%, 74%, and 76% respectively); and 4) significantly more in Canada self-identified as feminist music therapists than did their U.S. counterparts. Qualitative analysis of respondents’ thoughts on feminist music therapy identified the following themes: being a feminist, belief and orientation, and working for empowerment and equality. The potential contribution that feminist music therapy offers the music therapy profession as a whole was highlighted in terms of its understanding of the impact of multiple sources of marginalization and privilege. This potential contribution could be enhanced through future research into the profiles of feminist music therapists living in other parts of the world.

scholarly journals How does a music therapy student work to facilitate reminiscence and memory in dementia patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
I-Chen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Group Music Therapy ◽  
Social Abilities ◽  
Therapy Strategies

<p>This study was prompted in response to increased interest in, and demand for, music therapy provision in improving quality of care for dementia patients. It is an exploration of the strategies to facilitate memory and reminiscence in persons with dementia, and considers the need for those preparing for end of life to recall identities, connect with family and others, and express feelings. This research is a qualitative study involving secondary analysis of clinical data from my clinical practice and identifies the strategies, techniques and procedures that I applied in my clinical work to stimulate preserved memory ‘islands’. The findings show that familiarity is central in enabling a remembering process, and music can have unique ways of accessing memory in people with limited cognitive and social abilities. Eight core categories of music therapy strategies were found to be helpful in enabling memory and reminiscence. This study includes examples of both individual and group music therapy. The objective of this study was to examine my music therapy practice, and potentially provide some beneficial ideas and insights to other music therapists working on memory and reminiscence with dementia patients.</p>

scholarly journals How does a music therapy student work to facilitate reminiscence and memory in dementia patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
I-Chen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Group Music Therapy ◽  
Social Abilities ◽  
Therapy Strategies

<p>This study was prompted in response to increased interest in, and demand for, music therapy provision in improving quality of care for dementia patients. It is an exploration of the strategies to facilitate memory and reminiscence in persons with dementia, and considers the need for those preparing for end of life to recall identities, connect with family and others, and express feelings. This research is a qualitative study involving secondary analysis of clinical data from my clinical practice and identifies the strategies, techniques and procedures that I applied in my clinical work to stimulate preserved memory ‘islands’. The findings show that familiarity is central in enabling a remembering process, and music can have unique ways of accessing memory in people with limited cognitive and social abilities. Eight core categories of music therapy strategies were found to be helpful in enabling memory and reminiscence. This study includes examples of both individual and group music therapy. The objective of this study was to examine my music therapy practice, and potentially provide some beneficial ideas and insights to other music therapists working on memory and reminiscence with dementia patients.</p>

scholarly journals Diversity and Community: Finding and Forming a South African Music Therapy

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Oosthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
South African ◽  
Therapy Group ◽  
Community Music ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
African Music ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
Community Finding

How does music therapy engage diversity? My participation within three different South African communities offers possibilities, questions and thoughts to music therapists as we form our profession in this country and perhaps also globally. In a diverse, transient community, music is able to draw people together and may help to reconcile our many differences, but can also highlight the fragmentation of this community if all individuals and groups are not considered. As I introduce music therapy to an affluent school community, I find the cultural understandings I share with community members a helpful advantage, and yet I need to consider that by working only in wealthy, resourced communities similar to my own community, I may be highlighting the divide between wealth and poverty. In this way, I compound our countries' struggle with social inequality. As I initiate a short term music therapy group in a community very different to my own, I struggle with questions of whether music therapy has any relevance here, and find myself adapting my thinking, and working closely with the community to form a music therapy practice that has value in this context. These diverse work experiences challenge music therapists to increase our awareness of pertinent national and global issues and the possibilities our profession holds for addressing these issues. We need to explore new communities whilst continually reflecting and questioning all that we do and sharing our different work experiences with one another. Otherwise, whilst our work may hold much value within a particular community, we may find ourselves addressing or compounding national or global issues and may be growing or inhibiting our profession.

scholarly journals The Violin in Music Therapy: How do I use the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disabilities or neurological conditions?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lucy Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Clinical Notes ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Performance Techniques ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
Primary Instrument

<p>In this research I explored my use of the violin in music therapy with people who have intellectual disability and neurological conditions. I am interested in this topic because the violin is my primary instrument and I wanted to learn more about its therapeutic potential. My research methodology was Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data, and the data were my clinical notes and research journal. Findings were generated through thematic analysis of the data. Five themes emerged. Specifically, I found that the violin’s voice-like timbre was helpful in fostering connections and encouraging emotional and communicative expression. Similarly, the ability to physically share the instrument, and to play it while mobile, also fostered connections between me and my participants. Because of my expertise on the violin I was able to utilize a vast variety of performance techniques both with familiar music and within improvisations that elicited meaningful musical moments. My relationship with the violin has developed and changed throughout this process and the violin has become a part of my identity as a music therapist. I anticipate that findings will interest other music therapists, and perhaps encourage them to use alternative instruments within their practice.</p>

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