A Natural End: One Story about Catherine

Music Therapist ◽

This article describes my work as a music therapist in a children's hospice. It gives an account of 13 music therapy sessions with a girl, Catherine, who reached just 13 years of age before her death. During this short but intense span of time, Catherine showed great courage not only in coming to terms with the recent death of her younger sister, but, as it transpired, in preparing for her own death. As the therapeutic relationship developed, music became an invaluable source of communication, exploring the anxieties and confusion that Catherine faced as grief and fear came to the fore, while nurturing her innate zest for life.

Clinical observations of live improvisational harp music in neonatal intensive care

Music and Medicine ◽

10.47513/mmd.v10i2.497 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 63

Author(s):

Roxanne McLeod ◽

Kaye Spence

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Units ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Therapy Program ◽

Clinical Observations ◽

Live Music ◽

Experienced Nurse ◽

The use of Music Therapy (MT) in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) has received growing attention through an increasing body of research. MT research in NICUs have shown benefits in the use of both recorded and live music, a recent study has indicated that live music produces more beneficial outcomes in some domains, and is often perceived as more beneficial by parents. As part of the developmental program in a NICU, music therapy by a Registered Music Therapist was implemented for long-stay infants and their families. The live music therapy sessions using a Reverie Harp were simultaneously observed by a health professional who was a certified NIDCAP Professional. A series of infants were observed with music played to their individual responses. The behavioral observations and the responses to the music were consistent with supportive regulation by the infants. Music therapy specifically targeted at longer stay infants was shown to be calming and enabled the infants to regulate their behavior. A planned music therapy program for neonates and their parents in collaboration with an experienced nurse enables the identification of infants and their families who may benefit from the program. Key Words NICU, music therapy, live music, NIDCAP, Neonate

How did I as a student music therapist, use songwriting techniques to facilitate self-expression with adolescents in a mental health school setting?

10.26686/wgtn.17059835.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Emma Johnson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Music Therapy ◽

School Setting ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Health Issues ◽

Short Term ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Clinical Notes ◽

The purpose of this research was to understand how a student music therapist was able to facilitate self-expression using specific songwriting techniques, during long term and short term, group and individual music therapy sessions. Long term is considered a four-month period of weekly sessions, and short term is considered a single session. This research took place at an educational facility where I was working with adolescents with various mental health issues. In this exegesis, I discuss the various definitions of self-expressions as defined in literature, and consider the ways this relates to songwriting methods chosen and applied during therapy. A qualitative method of research was used, using secondary analysis of data collected from five months of Music Therapy practice. Thematic analysis was applied to clinical notes from sessions, student review statements and personal reflective practitioner journal. I was guided by music therapy literature discussing songwriting that I had been drawing on for the benefit of my practice. My analysis revealed that I developed specifically tailored methods and techniques for individuals and groups, which would begin with how they would like to approach their songwriting. I also found, that alongside more well documented techniques such as lyric writing and composition, improvisation and song planning were of high value to my practice and therefore were included as therapeutic songwriting techniques in my findings.

MUSIC THERAPY

International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH ◽

10.29121/granthaalayah.v3.i1se.2015.3396 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (1SE) ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Archana Sharma

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Social Needs ◽

Health Profession ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Therapeutic Context

Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address to physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strength and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to and/or listening to music. Through musical involvement in therapeutic context, clients, abilities are strengthened and transfer to other areas of their lives.

Beyond Imitation, Without Limitations: A Student Music Therapist Supports the Participation and Development of Young People with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties in a School Setting

10.26686/wgtn.17004745 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Conor Clerkin

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Research Question ◽

School Setting ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Case Examples ◽

Complex Needs ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

This exploratory study sought to uncover the methods and techniques a student music therapist employed to support the participation of young people with complex needs in a school setting. Individual music therapy sessions were carried out over nine months, and clinical documentation was generated throughout this period. Data sources included clinical notes, a reflective journal, and audiovisual recordings from music therapy sessions. Once a research question had been established, the existing data was reviewed retrospectively through a process of secondary analysis, and both inductive and deductive methods of analysis were employed to enable meaningful interpretations of the data to occur. A process of coding and thematically linking elements of music therapy practice allowed for a model of understanding to emerge, and findings suggest that the behaviours and strategies utilised by the student music therapist to support the young people’s participation in music therapy fell into three thematic groupings: creating a collaborative environment; following and leading; and dynamic flow. Themes are defined and the codes within elaborated upon, with case examples from the data included as appropriate to illustrate their meaning. Findings are discussed, and links are made to the literature in relevant fields. While results cannot be generalised to other settings, it is hoped that the detail and in depth analysis of practice provide a thorough and meaningful insight into the types of interaction that can occur in music therapy with young people with complex needs, and the value of specific supports to participation identified in this research.

Defining the Therapeutic Singing Voice: An Analysis of Four Music Therapists’ Clinical Work

Music Therapy Perspectives ◽

10.1093/mtp/miz001 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 176-186

Author(s):

Martina C Bingham

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Singing Voice ◽

Music Therapists ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Working Definition ◽

Definition Of ◽

Two Stages ◽

Therapy Sessions ◽

And Training

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the ways music therapists use their singing voices in music therapy sessions and, in doing so, to provide a working definition of the therapeutic singing voice. Four music therapists were observed leading at least 10 music therapy sessions each in order to examine the ways they used their singing voices in clinical practice. Interviews with each of these therapists, at the completion of session observations, enriched these observational data. Data were analyzed in two stages. First, individual singing voice profiles were developed for each music therapist, and second, these profiles were integrated to define essential singing voice characteristics. These characteristics included flexible postures and physicality, diverse breathing methods and strategies of phonation, flexible resonance strategies, improvisational skills, and knowledge of diverse music genres. Implications for vocal education and training in music therapy programs are discussed.

The Music Therapy Interactions of One Session with a Physically Disabled Boy

Journal of British Music Therapy ◽

10.1177/135945758700100103 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 7-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Pamela Steele ◽

Kate Leese

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Case History ◽

Therapy Session ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Physically Disabled ◽

Musical Notation ◽

This paper looks in detail at the events of one individual music therapy session with a physically disabled boy aged seven years. In the context of his case history and his music therapy sessions up to that point, it describes the content and quality of therapist/child musical contact as it changes over the three sections of the session. Musical notation illustrates key passages. Aspects of the development of the physically disabled child are considered and related to the vision the child gives to the music therapist of his predicament. Musical events are conceived of as expressing and as having potential for resolving the child's difficulties in relating to a key figure, and to the environment they share.

Psychodynamic Music Therapy

Voices A World Forum for Music Therapy ◽

10.15845/voices.v16i2.882 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jinah Kim

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Music Listening ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Verbal Processing ◽

Therapeutic Goals ◽

The Core ◽

Clinical Vignettes ◽

Therapeutic Processes

This paper introduces and explores the basic principles of psychodynamic approaches in music therapy. Music is used as a means to explore both conscious and unconscious issues as well as the internal world of the individuals involved in music therapy. However, the focus of therapy is on therapeutic relationship, especially the dynamics of transference and counter-transference between the client and the music therapist. Musical experiences, such as music listening, songs, and improvisation, can be used to facilitate the therapeutic processes, and to achieve individualized therapeutic goals. When clinically appropriate, verbal processing might play as crucial a role as the musical processing. Practitioners of psychodynamic approaches often strive to gain meaning and in-depth understandings from therapeutic experiences, and the approach is therefore suitable for individuals who are ready to work through their personal issues within a therapeutic relationship. Various approaches and techniques have been developed in psychotherapy as well as in music therapy. Perhaps the only commonality in these approaches is that psychodynamic thinking informs the direction of the therapy and therapeutic processes. Clinical vignettes will be introduced within the article to highlight a triadic dynamic—the client, the music therapist, and the music—in order to illustrate the core aspects of psychodynamic music therapy.

Reflections on the Pre-Musical Moment

Journal of British Music Therapy ◽

10.1177/135945758700100106 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 22-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mercedes Pavlicevic

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Psychiatric Hospital ◽

Therapeutic Process ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Patients in hospitals frequently have little choice about attending music therapy sessions. This, in addition to the novelty of music therapy as a treatment, may make both patient and therapist uncomfortable. The patient is unsure as to what to expect, and the music therapist uncertain as to how much to say—or leave unsaid. This article draws on the author's experience as a music therapist in a small adult psychiatric hospital. It is an attempt at examining the pre-musical moment at the time when both the patient and the music therapist are engaged in sharing their expectations and anxieties, and in negotiating a resolution before the musical-therapeutic process can begin.

Psychodynamic Music Therapy

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199639755.013.8 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Susanne Metzner

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Human Beings ◽

Interpersonal Processes ◽

Underlying Assumption ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Musical Activity ◽

Treatment Context ◽

The Individual ◽

The Mind

The basic underlying assumption in psychodynamic music therapy is the existence of, and dynamic processes within, an unconscious part of the mind, which has an influence on intrapsychic and interpersonal processes within and outside of the musical activity between the therapist and patient. The therapeutic relationship is distinguished by the attentiveness of the music therapist to his or her own reactions, feelings, fantasies, and ideas, which are triggered by the patient’s transference. Psychodynamic music therapy proposes that, with the assistance of music, human beings can become aware of their inner states, and can communicate these through performed musical expression. From a psychoanalytic viewpoint, music is considered to portray meaning and to give the individual the feeling of being mirrored, accompanied, and even personally understood. This chapter explains how psychodynamic music therapy was developed and how it is practiced within the treatment context of mental health services.

What Can I Understand about Children with Special Needs from the Musical Offerings that Emerge in the Music Therapy Process?

10.26686/wgtn.16948969.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Shane Cammell

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

Special Needs ◽

Free Form ◽

Children With Special Needs ◽

Formal Approach ◽

Arts Based Research ◽

Music Therapist ◽

Instrumental Works ◽

Therapy Sessions ◽

Key Questions

This arts-based research thesis sought to understand two children with special needs, through their musical offerings within the context of their music therapy sessions. The process of understanding the children came through firstly listening to and extracting meaningful musical data from recordings of their sessions. This data included both actual excerpts of the musical interplays between the child and music therapist (myself), and more broadly, underlying themes drawn from the recorded session material. The data was then creatively 'melded', resulting in two original instrumental works, herein referred to as 'songs'. Before, during and after writing the songs, rigorous analyses were undertaken utilising both a formal approach, via the use of a contextual question framework, and two creative approaches: free-form narration and data-led imagery. The contextual question framework, involving the repetitive use of two key questions - where? and why? - sought to understand the data's context, its purpose for inclusion, and its influence on the respective song. One of the creative approaches, that of free-form narration, sought to, rather than analysing the song through formal structures, instead 'tell the song's story', narratively conveying the experience of being with the child in his music. The other creative approach, that of data-led imagery, involved creating images during and after being 'immersed' in the musical data, employing instinctive or subconscious means to further develop the therapist's understanding of the child's musical offerings, and moreover, the child himself. Upon completion of the two songs, it was discovered that clinical themes present from the sessions strongly influenced the song creation process. Results also strongly supported the validity of arts-based research as a viable means of analysing music created with children with special needs.