Individual music psychotherapy and psychosis: Understanding and measuring relative effectiveness through rates of readmission

This article explores the use of individual music psychotherapy for patients with psychosis who are frequently readmitted into hospital. It explores the extent to which music psychotherapy can support patients to stay out of hospital, thus reducing the costs of treatment. The high cost of inpatient stays is a major factor in shaping clinical services across both inpatient and outpatient zones of secondary care in the United Kingdom. Whether music therapy is seen as value for money may influence how it is provided and for how long. This article presents an empirical illustration of the frequency and duration of psychotic patients’ readmissions in England, and in London. An analysis of these data is provided in an attempt to ascribe meaning to these figures, through relevant literature and hypotheses. Finally, readmission rates are considered as a potential objective outcome measure of clinical effectiveness, by providing a comparison between patients treated with individual music psychotherapy and those receiving treatment as usual.

Functional Expansion of Music Education Technologies (through the example of music rehabilitation therapy of neurology ward patients)

This article presents a research of the possibility to apply music education activities for rehabilitation of patients with neurodegenerative disease.The purpose of this work was development of a music psychotherapy program for rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s neurodegenerative disease.We suggested “target objects” for music rehabilitation therapy at all levels of manifestation of symptoms of illness:1) physical restriction and rigidness which includes well-aimed work with breathing and movement symptoms, loss of control, lack of coordination, inflexibility, tremor;2) emotional deprivation (realization and expression of emotions and feelings) through plastics of movements to music and singing – seeking catharsis through vivified contact with oneself and intensification of feelings;3) social deprivation: well-aimed work on resocialization of the patient.Сonclusions:Results we obtained contribute to further understanding and wider application of music education methods, technologies and approaches that may add to rehabilitation practices.

Functional Expansion of Music Education Technologies (through the example of music rehabilitation therapy of neurology ward patients)

This article presents a research of the possibility to apply music education activities for rehabilitation of patients with neurodegenerative disease.The purpose of this work was development of a music psychotherapy program for rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson’s neurodegenerative disease.We suggested “target objects” for music rehabilitation therapy at all levels of manifestation of symptoms of illness:1) physical restriction and rigidness which includes well-aimed work with breathing and movement symptoms, loss of control, lack of coordination, inflexibility, tremor;2) emotional deprivation (realization and expression of emotions and feelings) through plastics of movements to music and singing – seeking catharsis through vivified contact with oneself and intensification of feelings;3) social deprivation: well-aimed work on resocialization of the patient.Сonclusions:Results we obtained contribute to further understanding and wider application of music education methods, technologies and approaches that may add to rehabilitation practices.

Music Therapists’ Preparation for Song Discussion: Meaning-Making With the Music

Songs are powerful catalysts and resources for change processes in music psychotherapy. Not surprisingly, music therapists often invite clients to listen to recordings of popular songs. A common song listening method is song discussion, in which a therapist selects a relevant song to explore with a client or group and facilitates the listening and subsequent verbal processing. In the relevant music therapy literature, lyrics assume a primary focus (i.e., lyric analysis), and yet, the music of a song, as integrated with its lyrics, impacts both client’s and therapist’s meaning-making and is therefore crucial to take into account. The purpose of the present investigative essay is to encourage music therapists to give attention to the music of recorded songs as they plan to facilitate song discussion. Herein I present a conceptualization of recorded popular songs and consider how one makes meaning from song listening processes. I urge therapists to prepare for song discussion through careful phenomenological listening and introspective interpretation. Finally, I describe procedures of a developing model for aural song analysis and interpretation based on Bruscia’s Improvisation Assessment Profiles (IAPs) with an abbreviated example viewed through multiple theoretical perspectives.

Using music and medicine research to inform music psychotherapy practice

This article describes some key elements that continue impacting my personal journey from qualitative researcher and music psychotherapist into evidence-based researcher. I will contemplate how to explain the power of music within the framework of music and medicine, and introduce the relevant music and brain research findings, i.e. how music affects our hormones, emotions, and memories. Could I have a neurological rationale in my mind when I choose or use music for my music psychotherapy clients? Do the music and brain findings expound what exactly in music is therapeutic and what happens during those processes? Could we speculate if indeed those findings are the very foundation of music psychotherapy?