scholarly journals Non-Verbal Interactions Between Music Therapists and Persons with Dementia. A Qualitative Phenomenological and Arts-Based Inquiry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie K Krøier ◽  
Brynjulf Stige ◽  
Hanne Mette Ridder
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Verbal Interactions ◽  
Care Experience ◽  
Therapeutic Presence ◽  
Musical Interactions ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Person With Dementia

Abstract When music therapists are supervising caregivers in how to apply music in their interactions with persons with dementia, we may term this as indirect music therapy practice. Musical interactions are mostly happening through nonverbal, implicit, and embodied knowledge, and, therefore, there is a need for exploring and verbalizing such interactions for music therapists to be able to disseminate to caregivers and other professionals. In this qualitative study, we examine how 6 music therapists with clinical experience in dementia care experience nonverbal interaction with persons with severe dementia living in nursing homes. Explorative focus groups were conducted to study the music therapists’ lived-experience descriptions about their nonverbal interactions with persons with dementia. Focus group transcripts were analyzed by a phenomenological approach, and the findings elaborated and peer validated by the use of musical improvisation as an arts-based analytic approach. The findings included five themes: vitality, disciplined subjectivity, attunement, therapeutic presence, and validation. The music therapists were guided by the vitality of the person with dementia, were aware of their own reactions, and sensed the needs of the person through disciplined subjectivity. They attuned to the person’s nonverbal musical parameters (e.g., tempo pitch and volume) and cocreated an open and mutual field through therapeutic presence and validation. The findings are relevant for future development of direct and indirect music therapy practice but contain limitations due to a homogenous and small group of participants. This study highlights the challenges of exploring nonverbal and musical interactions with the use of language-based methods of inquiry.

scholarly journals A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of the Generation X and Y Entrepreneurs

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Khor
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Generation X ◽  
Generation Y ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Work Attitudes ◽  
Social Variables ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

This qualitative phenomenological approach examined the Generation X and Y cohorts in terms of their lived experience towards the  entrepreneurial journey in Singapore, which can consequently fill empirical gap on entrepreneurship among generational cohorts of Asian entrepreneurs.  The study sample comprised  15 generation X and 15 Y Singaporean entrepreneurs from 30 companies who identified their involvement in starting a business venture and in the day-to-day running of the business. Using NVIVO to cull down key components and ideas from the data, the study revealed that Generation X and Generation Y to have similar work attitudes, values and behaviours. The differences between the generations include differences in age, experience as well as obligations in life such as to one’s family. Further studies are needed to examine the differences of these cohorts in terms demographic, psychological and social variables to provide additional insights and identify contributing factors to successful entrepreneurial venture.

scholarly journals The great reveal: The experiences of a Registered Music Therapist with a disability: an arts-based research project

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Kalenderidis
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Arts Based Research ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Intersecting Identities ◽  
Global Population ◽  
Accessible Format

Disability is a human phenomenon experienced not by a small minority but a large percentage of our global population.  Disability is encountered by people of all ethnicities, religions, genders (and non-conforming), sexualities, socio-economic backgrounds, and ages.  Recent music therapy literature has advocated for a diverse workforce and others describe the value in music therapists adopting an intersectional lens, which considers the interconnectedness of social and political identities. However, there is limited dialogue featuring lived experiences of music therapists of underrepresented identities, such as disability.  This research sought to canvass the experiences of Australian Registered Music Therapists who identify as having a disability and to explore how their disability may impact or inform their practice.  One Australian Registered Music Therapist (RMT) who identified as disabled was interviewed.  The student-researcher engaged with arts-based research through music composition to allow an embodied analysis and to present results in an accessible format.  Several themes were revealed, including; hidden disability, disclosure of disability, alliance, positive transference, visibility, and identity.  These findings demonstrate the importance of lived experiences in the music therapy community and calls to amplify diverse voices of those with disabilities and other intersecting identities within our profession. Acknowledging the work of disabled music therapists may further challenge ableist attitudes in our society and provide options to participants who might prefer to work with therapists who have relevant lived experience.

A Transformative Impact of Theory in Clinical Practice: A Study in a Cardiogenetics Clinic

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-143
Author(s):  
Esma D. Paljevic
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Genetic Profile ◽  
Delivery Of Care ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological Study

Background and PurposeThis qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of family members who have been referred to a cardiogenetics clinic following the loss of a family member to sudden cardiac death (SCD). These family members were evaluated in a Cardiogenetics Clinic in a Children's Hospital in the New York region, which utilizes an interprofessional approach to care.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experience of family members that were referred following the SCD of a family member. The researcher used hermeneutic dialectics and interviewed family members that attended the Cardiogenetics Clinic.ResultsInsights gained through discussion were discussed in the following themes: stories of feelings being heard, stories of meaningfulness, and stories of mutual process. This led to the transformation of the typical linear clinic process to a transformative and dynamic model for integrated delivery of care.Implications for PracticeThis interprofessional model of care offers information regarding SCD, a genetic profile to determine risk for SCD, an integrative collaborative approach to care as well as nursing, medical interventions, psychological support, and counseling for families.

Therapeutic paralysis of critically ill trauma patients: perceptions of patients and their family members

1999 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 490-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
KL Johnson ◽  
RB Cheung ◽  
SB Johnson ◽  
M Roberts ◽  
J Niblett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Neuromuscular Blocking ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Additional Education

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular blocking agents are used in critically ill patients to induce therapeutic paralysis. These drugs leave patients fully immobile but conscious. Analgesics and sedatives are concomitantly administered with the paralytic agents. Little is known about what patients remember when they receive these combinations of drugs. Even less is known about the experiences and needs of the patients' family members during the patients' paralysis. OBJECTIVES: To obtain recollections of therapeutic paralysis in critically ill adult trauma patients and to determine the psychological, emotional, and educational needs of the patients' family members during the time the patients were paralyzed. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to investigate the "lived" experience of therapeutic paralysis of 11 pairs of subjects. Each pair consisted of one critically ill adult trauma patient and one member of the patient's family. RESULTS: The patients recalled their experience of therapeutic paralysis with vagueness, as if they had been dreaming. Few recalled pain or painful procedures. Patients remembered having nurses and family members provide emotional support and encouragement. Family members understood the rationale for use of the drugs. They remembered being encouraged to touch and talk with patients. The subjects suggested providing additional education about events that occur when paralysis is being reversed. CONCLUSIONS: Two confounding variables may have affected these findings: a liberalized visiting policy and use of effective pain and sedation protocols. Healthcare professionals and patients' family members should monitor bedside conversations and use touch and words of encouragement to support patients during therapeutic paralysis.

Therapeutic Music Interventions to Support People With Dementia Living at Home With Their Family Caregivers

2019 ◽  
pp. 269-287
Author(s):  
Jeanette Tamplin ◽  
Imogen N. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Music Participation ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Severe Stage ◽  
Musical Interactions ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
At Home

Music can be used therapeutically in home and community settings throughout the trajectory of dementia. Communal singing experiences offer opportunities for music participation and social engagement that are accessible and enjoyable for people with dementia at any stage of severity. They also provide a means of communication and facilitate relationships between people with dementia and their carers through shared and meaningful musical interactions. In the early stages after a diagnosis of dementia, supported opportunities to sing together, along with the associated prospects for peer support and social interaction, may enable family carers to care for loved ones at home for as long as possible. In the later stages of dementia, singing may be the only way for the person with dementia to communicate and connect with others. Music processing capacities can be retained until the severe stage and music can stimulate memories and self-awareness for the person with dementia. Supported songwriting can be therapeutic for both people with dementia and their caregivers in facilitating emotional expression and acknowledging and validating feelings. This chapter explores the range of music participation opportunities available to people living with dementia at home with their caregivers at various stages of the disease. We also outline the differences in groups facilitated by music therapists and community musicians and highlight ways that caregivers can use music therapeutically in the home environment.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Heuristic Inquiry into the Development of Therapeutic Presence as a Student Music Therapist

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Mc Guigan
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Heuristic Inquiry ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Therapeutic Presence ◽  
Personal Process

This first-person study investigates the role of cognitive and embodied forms of knowledge in relation to the development of therapeutic presence as a student music therapist. In this paper, I will provide an introduction to the topic reviewing its relevance to the practice of music therapy, and I will argue that the development of therapeutic presence is a fundamental part of becoming a music therapist.  Although there are seminal articles in the music therapy literature that discuss the topic of therapeutic presence, I have not found any articles relating it to the development of being a student music therapist. Using heuristic methodology, I will describe the personal process of developing therapeutic presence as a student music therapist. To gain a broader perspective on the research topic, and to provide validation and transparency in relation to my personal heuristic process, three successive theoretical and experiential workshops were carried out with six student music therapists. Data, in the form of questionnaires, reflections and group musical improvisations were analysed systematically to validate my experience of the research topic, and also to discover and evaluate themes and practical methods. The research has culminated in the synthesis of data gathered during the study in relation to the main research question while also reviewing its relevance to music therapy practice and implications for further study.

Community college minority female administrators as mentors of minority female students

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-106
Author(s):  
Maureen Fonts
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Administrators ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

Purpose Minority female students are increasingly faced with issues such as financial instability, work-family imbalance, and few growth opportunities in their careers. Within the context of community colleges, the presence of minority female administrators may serve as a venue for the empowerment and attainment of academic and professional goals for minority female students through administrators’ mentoring practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experience of community college minority female administrators in their role as informal mentors to community college minority female students. Design/methodology/approach The author used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore community college minority female administrators’ experiences as mentors of female minority students. Mullen’s (2009) alternative mentoring model guided the study as well as a feminist lens. The purposive sample included six minority female administrators from two Florida community colleges, with individual interviews based on 18 open-ended questions. Data were analyzed with Atlas.ti™ qualitative software. Findings The findings uncovered four common themes and seven subthemes regarding the experience of informal mentoring as a minority female administrator: facilitating empowerment with two subthemes – modeling and coaching; administrator-student relationship with three subthemes – encouragement, life experiences, and past mentors; personal growth; and formalized mentoring with two subthemes – create a support system and access to information. Research limitations/implications In any study, phenomenological or otherwise, the researcher’s biases may cloud the data analysis process, and the researcher may code the data incorrectly or leave out crucial information during the transcription of the interview. It was essential for the author to understand the concept of epochè to bracket the author’s own experiences as a minority female (Bloomberg and Volpe, 2012). The purposeful sample was small and only focused on one region in the US, and the study’s findings may not be transferable to other contexts. Originality/value Minority female administrators’ experiences mentoring minority female students have not been comprehensively explored in the scholarly realm; hence, their mentoring journey is unknown. The study sought to shatter that silence and create a dialogue that will hopefully continue in the field of mentoring.

scholarly journals Exit Music: The Experience of Music Therapy within Medical Assistance in Dying

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
SarahRose Black ◽  
Lee Bartel ◽  
Gary Rodin
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Medical Assistance ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenological ◽  
Medical Assistance In Dying ◽  
Canadian Music

Since the 2015 Canadian legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAiD), many Canadian music therapists have become involved in the care of those requesting this procedure. This qualitative study, the first of its kind, examines the experience of music therapy within MAiD, exploring lived experience from three perspectives: the patient, their primary caregiver, and the music therapist/researcher. Overall thematic findings of a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of ten MAiD cases demonstrate therapeutically beneficial outcomes in terms of quality of life, symptom management, and life review. Further research is merited to continue an exploration of the role of music therapy in the context of assisted dying.

A Problematic Conflation of Justice and Equality: The Case for Equity in Music Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-111
Author(s):  
Hakeem Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Black People ◽  
The United States ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Education Access ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Black Clients

Abstract A historical basis and a therapeutic foundation are given for understanding the importance of equity when considering contexts of race in music therapy, specifically with African-American or Black clients. Those contexts are broad, including, but not limited to Black clients, Black music, diversity and inclusion, safe spaces, multiculturalism, access to music therapy education, access to services. Examples are given of the Black experience in the United States related to self-definition, self-sufficiency, growth, and resiliency. Both cultural and musical aesthetic contextualization are pointed to, and connections are drawn between the navigation of Black people through different types of oppressive systems, and the negotiation of double-bind dilemmas that try to force Black disembodiment when trying to live authentic personhood in the face of proscriptive and prescriptive forces. Despite this systemic oppression, Black people continue to show a resilience in society as well as therapeutic and health settings, which is seen more readily when therapists and professionals can center in the margins the lived experience of Black clients, decenter themselves where appropriate, and practice a critical consciousness that actively uses counterhegemonic and antiracist practices. As music therapists have begun to understand joining ethics and evidence together through the self-advocacy of some populations, we must do the same while explicitly centering equity in our work with Black clients. If music therapists truly espouse justice, then there should be a critical examination of this in the profession-- in ourselves, our work, our relationship to music, our organizations, and in our education and training.

A phenomenological study of the experience of domestic violence in Iranian women with HIV

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-183
Author(s):  
Maryam Gharacheh ◽  
Nooredin Mohammadi ◽  
Fahimeh Ranjbar ◽  
Hamid Emadi Kochak ◽  
Simin Montazeri
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Violent Relationships ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

AbstractThis study explores the lived experience of domestic violence in HIV-infected women in Iran using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were collected in 2014 through in-depth interview of twelve HIV-infected women purposefully selected from a counselling centre in Tehran. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The main theme that emerged was ‘the sunset of life’ – an emotional numbing and fragile marital relationship resulting from the violence suffered by the women. From this, three sub-themes expressing women’s feelings of hopelessness were extracted: ‘the destroyed life’, ‘being in the destiny prison’ and ‘living on the edge of annihilation’. The results revealed that although the experience of domestic violence had devastating effects on women’s lives, HIV infection was the factor that forced them to remain trapped in violent relationships. The findings emphasize the importance of designing comprehensive violence prevention strategies tailored to meeting the needs of HIV-infected women in Iran.

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