scholarly journals Situation Songs - Therapeutic Intentions and Use in Music Therapy with Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Kolar-Borsky ◽  
Ulla Holck
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Developmental Age ◽  
Master Thesis ◽  
Therapeutic Space

The aim of this study was to survey the various therapeutic intentions behind the use of one particular improvisation method applied in pediatric music therapy, called the situation song (from the German term “Situationslied”- Plahl & Koch-Temming, 2008, p. 180). According to Plahl & Koch-Temming the term situation song describes an improvised song, which is sung by the therapist or/and the child and which relates to the actual occurrence and the therapeutic relationship. The presented study focuses on the therapist’s singing only.The study was conducted in stages: An elaboration of the first author’s clinical experience with situation songs (preunderstandings), a systematic analysis of relevant literature, followed by semi-structured interviews with three music therapists from Denmark, Austria and Germany. A flexible investigation approach was used, following hermeneutic principles.The findings of the study show that situation songs are regularly used by pediatric music therapists, especially during the work with children at an early developmental age. The various intentions behind the use of situation songs can be summarized as such: to create a therapeutic space; to support the therapeutic relationship; to enhance experience and development in the fields of emotion, behavior, expression and social skills; to express  messages in language and to give structure to the child. The overall aim behind the use of situation songs is to offer essential experiences to the child in order to support his or her development.This study attempts to give an impulse to more international exchange of clinical terms applied in music therapy. The study was submitted as the first author’s master thesis in Music Therapy at the Aalborg University in Denmark. The second author supervised the process of the master thesis.

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.

scholarly journals Non-Haredi Arts Therapists’ Perceptions of Therapy With Ultra-Orthodox Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lali Keidar ◽  
Dafna Regev ◽  
Sharon Snir
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Consensual Qualitative Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Dance Movement ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Cultural Therapy

Studies have underscored the complexity of the encounter between ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) society and psychotherapy, as well as the challenges involved in developing a therapeutic relationship in cross-cultural therapy. However, there is scant research on therapy for ultra-Orthodox children, especially when it comes to arts therapies that take place in a cross-cultural setting. The current study examined the perceptions of 17 arts therapists (including visual art therapists, dance/movement therapists, psychodramatists, music therapists and bibliotherapists) who are not ultra-Orthodox, and who currently work or have previously worked with ultra-Orthodox children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the therapists and analyzed using the principles of Consensual Qualitative Research. The study covered four domains: (1) perceptions of the significance and objectives of arts therapy with ultra-Orthodox children; (2) the influence of the cultural difference between therapist and client on the emotional experience and the therapeutic relationship; (3) the use of arts in therapy; (4) systemic aspects. The findings indicate significant perceptual and value-based disparities between therapists and clients, which pose difficulties and challenges to all participating parties and require therapists to be highly sensitive. Aside from the difficulties, the findings suggest that this cultural difference may also have certain advantages for clients as well as therapists. The findings likewise attest to the multifaceted process of change that is taking place within Haredi society in its attitude toward psychotherapy in general and arts therapy in particular.

Parents’ Perspectives on Their Child’s Music Therapy: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Annesley ◽  
Katherine Curtis-Tyler ◽  
Eamonn McKeown
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Outcomes For Children ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Perceived Outcomes ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Abstract This qualitative study explored parents’ perspectives on their child receiving individual music therapy in a community setting in an NHS service in London, UK. Parents of children aged 6–11 receiving or recently discharged from music therapy took part. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews which were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following procedures of inductive thematic analysis. Music therapy was generally perceived to provide a nurturing environment for children, and communication with music therapists was mostly experienced as helpful, but with some perceived challenges. Parents perceived positive outcomes of music therapy, including children becoming calmer and engaging more with musical activities at home. Understanding of music therapy was perceived as an evolving process for parents. Some parents described a need for more information prior to music therapy. The findings of this study broadly support the model in the service of working with children aged 6–11 without parents generally present during sessions. However, there were indications that, for some families, a more flexible approach might be beneficial for the child. Participants’ commentaries on perceived outcomes for children indicate potential for intervention studies investigating the impact of music therapy, while broader perceptions of the value of music therapy indicate a need for studies exploring reasons for effectiveness.

scholarly journals Ethical recommendations for music therapy in neurorehabilitation: impure a priori foundations and transpersonal holism

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 274-296
Author(s):  
Tristan Guillermo Torriani
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Level ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Collective Construction

Music therapy has been proven useful in the treatment of a wide range of disorders, even if often in only an auxiliary role. Its use for patients requiring neurological rehabilitation is rather recent and its effectiveness has been assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Practitioners must undergo rigorous training to obtain certification and must be able to combine a high level of therapeutic and artistic skills. As members of multidisciplinary teams, music therapists are expected to (1) justify their participation by employing the most effective methods at their disposal; (2) adapt or even create musical material best suited to patients’ needs; and (3) strive for a theoretical understanding of what their intervention is trying accomplish. These recommendations emerge from concrete realities that we could not take cognizance of purely a priori. An attempt to ground them post hoc in an abstract universal conception of human dignity realized in Kant’s practical reason, attractive as that might seem philosophically, is ridden with logical gaps (non-sequiturs) and circularity (Rorty). Moral concepts ought rather to be understood as impure a priori criteria for moral judgment acquired and negotiated through linguistic socialization (Herder, Piaget, Vygotsky, Wittgenstein, Habermas). The collective construction of a future neuroethics makes sense as a humanitarian plea (Herder’s Humanität) following the jurisprudential practice of English common law rather than the top-down imposition of a global civil code. In so far as music therapy is concerned, it will most likely remain embedded in the moral anthropological context of local languages, cultures and traditions, albeit with some foreign influences caused by international exchange. 

Introducing Music Therapy to Hospitalized Adults in Medical Settings: A Thematic Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantise J Hunt ◽  
Michael J Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Live Music ◽  
Clinical Benefits

Abstract Music therapy can decrease illness- and treatment-related symptoms for adults in medical settings. In these environments, service users often decide to accept or decline music therapy after a brief introduction by the music therapist. As there is limited literature exploring the challenges related to these introductions, the purpose of this interpretivist study was to describe how music therapists introduce music therapy in the form of patient-preferred live music (MT-PPLM) in adult medical settings to augment the likelihood of patients accepting treatment. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants who had experience providing MT-PPLM in adult medical settings. In this exploratory interpretivist study, we used an inductive approach to thematic analysis and incorporated member-checking to augment trustworthiness and credibility of the results. We identified three themes (supported by eight subthemes depicted in parentheses): (A) Offer patient a unique interaction through verbal and nonverbal techniques (Provide opportunities for patient control; Engage patient through nonmedical dialogue; and Use affect and body language to convey a different demeanor); (B) Clarify expectations related to patient and session (Avoid the word “therapy”; Use the music to explain the intervention; and Mention clinical benefits to describe what the patient can expect from the session); and (C) Respond to patient’s verbal and nonverbal communication (Assess patient and adapt introduction; and Validate patient’s response). The findings offer introductory techniques for music therapists that may increase the likelihood of adults in medical settings accepting MT-PPLM. Implications for clinical practice, ethical considerations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

scholarly journals Experiences and Perspectives of Music Therapists Providing Services to Families Experiencing Poverty: A Qualitative Investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica June Nagel ◽  
Michael Joseph Silverman
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Parenting Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Therapeutic Needs ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Therapy Interventions ◽  
Therapy Sessions

While music therapists have worked with families experiencing poverty, little literature exists concerning music therapy with this population. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences and perspectives of board-certified music therapists who work with families experiencing poverty. Five board-certified music therapists who are currently or have previously worked in settings that primarily served families experiencing poverty participated in semi-structured interviews. Participants reviewed interview transcripts for member checking purposes and later provided feedback on emerging themes. Interviews were analyzed for emerging themes using the six phases of thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006). Trustworthiness was obtained via the second author who independently reviewed transcripts and created codes and themes. Four themes regarding the use of music therapy interventions with families experiencing poverty emerged: (a) music therapy facilitates the development of parenting skills via education and interaction, (b) children and adults generalize skills from music therapy sessions to daily life, (c) awareness of the factors and unique stressors associated with poverty positively impacts the therapeutic process, and (d) music therapy compliments the broader continuum of support services to meet individual needs. Overall, participants perceived music therapy interventions to be uniquely beneficial in supporting the therapeutic needs of families experiencing poverty. Music therapists can use emerging themes to expediently develop working alliance and potentially create new positions to serve this marginalized population. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

scholarly journals Representation, Radicalism, and Music “After Sound”

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Moorehouse
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Contemporary Music ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Art Object ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Historical Antecedents

This commentary presents an experimental-composer’s perspective on contemporary music therapy practice. I begin by offering my impressions of the field, gathered through interviews with practising music therapists, and an examination of the relevant literature. Then, the commentary first draws upon G. Douglas Barrett’s radical post-sonic theorisation of music to question the future of existing music in therapy, before instrumentalising avant-garde aesthetics to imagine what music may become in music therapy. This exploration will pay particular attention to the impacts of the dematerialisation of the art object in contemporary art, and the potential benefits a similar decentering of sound in contemporary music practices may provoke—specifically, the creation of theoretical frameworks that further suppress the authority of canonical forms, and increased contributions from previously-marginalised groups. Next, the commentary presents an analysis of two recent musical compositions that determinedly decenter sound, before examining the appropriateness of this aesthetic to therapeutic contexts. Finally, the commentary signposts a number of historical antecedents that illustrate music therapy’s potential for rigorous (and radical) selfexamination, and examines how these efforts may be expanded.

scholarly journals Humanistic Music Therapy in the Child Welfare

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Nebelung ◽  
Karette Stensæth
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Music Therapist ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Point Of Departure

Music therapy has for a long time been associated with humanistic values, both among music therapists but more and more also among people outside the field. Do we all have a common understanding of what humanistic music therapy is? The point of departure in this paper is the development of a new Norwegian residential care unit for adolescents in child welfare services. Those responsible for this unit have included a music therapist, because they want to base the enterprise and its activities upon the values they associate with music therapy. This paper asks: What is “humanistic music therapy” and how might its perspectives correlate with the visions and ideas of the leaders of a child welfare institution? A literature review will assess the critical understanding of the concept of humanistic music therapy, in order to understand its unbiased and foundational values. Semi-structured interviews with the unit’s initiators will describe their visions and hopes for the development of the care unit with regard to humanistic music therapy. By correlating the findings from the literature review and the interviews, the paper describes aspects that might contribute to a common ground of understanding for the music therapist and the workers in the unit, which in turn might contribute to personal growth and health promotion among the adolescents and their community.

scholarly journals Music Is Life—Follow-Up Qualitative Study on Parental Experiences of Creative Music Therapy in the Neonatal Period

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6678
Author(s):  
Friederike Barbara Haslbeck ◽  
Lars Schmidli ◽  
Hans Ulrich Bucher ◽  
Dirk Bassler
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Positive Reinforcement ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Complementary Therapy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Developmental Problems ◽  
Creative Music ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
Hospitalization Period ◽  
Extremely Preterm

Developmental problems in extremely preterm (EP) infants and the associated longitudinal burden for their families are major health issues worldwide. Approaches to social-emotional support such as family-integrating Creative Music Therapy (CMT) are warranted. We aimed: (1) to explore parental perspectives on the use of CMT with EP infants in the neonatal hospitalization period and (2) to examine the possible longitudinal influence of CMT. A qualitative design was used to examine the perspective of six families from various backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews were carried out when the infants reached school age. We used an inductive–deductive thematic analysis to identify three main themes, each with three sub-themes: (1) the positive impact of CMT on the infants, the parents, and bonding; (2) the attitude toward CMT, from being open-minded to recommending it as complementary therapy; and (3) the experience of overall healthy infant development despite unique developmental delay issues. The findings elucidate the positive and formative impact of CMT on both infants and parents in the stressful NICU setting and beyond. CMT may empower positive transformation in the parents through individualized early nurturing musical interactions, capacity building, and positive reinforcement. Further research may help to identify and implement potentially modifiable factors for improving health care in this vulnerable group through early family-integrating, resource-based approaches such as CMT.

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