Music Therapy: Music Sharing Intervention with Acute Adolescents

This thesis explores a music therapy song sharing group method with acute adolescents in community-based acute treatment and partial hospitalization. While there is research on music therapy and acute adolescents, there is a gap in the literature surrounding the topic of acute adolescents participating in music therapy group sessions. Research on music therapy and adolescents focuses on interventions for an outpatient setting and/or a variety of different interventions. There was limited research on inpatient music therapy with adolescents and more research on adult inpatients working with music therapy. The method presented here incorporates sharing personal songs that clients have a connection with, describing the connection through lyric analysis and/or sound descriptions, identifying when they listen to the song (as a coping skill), and opening conversations with the group about the song. Results indicated that adolescents enjoy sharing personal music, feel comfortable expressing themselves and discussing their history, and as a coping skill music reduces their symptoms. As a group, sharing the songs sparked a variety of conversations based on the different themes of each song, such as: loss, trauma, drugs, suicide, society’s labels, mental health, resilience, and so forth. From this method, the participants felt comfortable processing intense feelings and were able to join together as a community

Training Music Therapists and Music Therapy Students to Provide Trauma-Informed Care: Training Development and Pilot Feasibility Study

Adverse childhood experiences are considered a serious public health problem and can lead to complex trauma. Due to the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences in the general population, it is likely music therapists frequently treat clients who have experienced trauma; however, there appears to be no published research on music therapy training and education regarding validated trauma-informed approaches. This study examined the impact of a three-hour educational training on music therapists’ knowledge of trauma-informed care and perceptions of preparedness to practice trauma-informed music therapy. Seven training attendees chose to participate and completed a pre-test and post-test covering demographic information, knowledge, perceptions, education, and feedback. Data were statistically and descriptively analyzed and reported. Participants demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge from pre- to post-test. Participants’ perceptions of their ability to practice trauma-informed music therapy were significantly higher on four test items. These results suggest that this training may have a positive influence on music therapists’ knowledge of trauma-informed care and perceptions of preparedness to practice trauma-informed music therapy. Future researchers should replicate the study with a larger sample and examine how music therapists apply information on trauma-informed care in practice

Dance/Movement Therapy in India

This research presents the field of dance/movement therapy (DMT) in India. The purpose of the research was to understand how DMT is practiced and perceived by current dance/movement therapists in India. The qualitative, ethnographic research was conducted in India by interviewing dance/movement therapists and observing the current DMT practice. The ethnographic component of the research was included to investigate the cultural influence of DMT practice in India. The results presents the social and cultural perspectives about DMT in India including: the challenges and the success experienced in the DMT field by current dance/movement therapists, the western DMT techniques used and modified to suit Indian culture, the integration of various Indian dance styles within the DMT practice, the conflict and controversy of DMT versus dance as therapy and the population that most commonly receives DMT service in India. This research also presents the development of DMT in India as a newly emerging profession. It reflects on the future of DMT within the mental health field. It mentions the differences between DMT practice in India and abroad and points out the directions for further research

Creating Connection through Dance/Movement Therapy among Older Adults with Dementia: Development of a Method

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the use of Dance/movement therapy (D/MT) with a focus on sensory stimulation among individuals living with dementia to promote a higher level of engagement, connection, and reminiscence. This thesis will provide a literature review on the challenges that individuals living with dementia experience and the importance of a person-centered approach to care that is grounded in relationship (Newman-Bluestein & Chang, 2017). Additionally, the role that Dance/movement therapy plays among people with dementia and the benefits of sensory stimulation within this population are also included. Finally, a Dance/movement therapy intervention that was implemented at an affordable housing community in the Boston area among a diverse, low-income group of older adults with mild to severe dementia in February and March 2020 will be presented. A Chacian structure was implemented with a focus on touch through the use of props, hand holding, and self-massage, as well as stimulation through music, encouraging reminiscence. The observations indicated valuable benefits for group participants, confirming a need for further research to be conducted on the benefits of D/MT among this specific population

The Use of Music Therapy in the Development of Socio-Emotional Skills in Children: A Literature Review

Socio-emotional development is an important domain of childhood development. Research indicates that the development of socio-emotional skills can have both short-term and long-term outcomes in other areas of a child’s life (Jones et al., 2015; Hammer at el., 2018). The most widely used approach in teaching social and emotional skills in children currently is through a social emotional learning (SEL) program. Music therapy is a commonly used modality with children to reach a variety of different goals. This paper explores current ways music is being implemented for improving socio-emotional skills, both within social emotional learning and in music therapy contexts. The implications of these findings support the inclusion of music therapy within SEL programs to increase engagement and effectiveness and the development of a music therapy-based SEL program

What is the Music of Music Therapy? An Enquiry into the Aesthetics of Clinical Improvisation

In many places in the Western world where music therapy occurs, improvisation is a significant and widespread practice in clinical work. The question of the nature of improvisation in music therapy is the topic of this enquiry, with particular reference to musical ontology and aesthetics. I examine how a consideration of ontology enables a distinction to be drawn between the music made within the clinical setting, known as clinical improvisation, and music that is made elsewhere. The context for this enquiry is the music therapy practice of the UK. Through an examination of the recent history of this practice, I establish two distinct approaches to clinical improvisation in the UK, music-centred and psychodynamic. I show how there are different ontologies of music ‘at work’ between these two approaches. I also demonstrate how these distinctions manifest in the question of the location of the therapeutic effect: is it in the music or the therapeutic relationship? Finally, I examine the nature of clinical improvisation in relation to performance. I explain how a consideration of distinct ontologies of music within clinical improvisation indicates a further distinction between the music of music therapy and art improvisation that is made elsewhere

The Effect of Music Therapy on Executive Function Skills in Male, Incarcerated Adults in a Correctional Facility

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of participation in a music therapy group on the executive function skills of male, incarcerated adults in a county correctional facility. Participants (N=16) were recruited from the medium-security pod in a local jail in a medium-sized Midwestern city. Eight participants (n=8) were randomly assigned to the treatment group, music therapy, and eight participants (n=8) were randomly assigned to the control group, talk-based therapy. Each group participated in four sessions over the course of two weeks. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions for Adults (BRIEF-A) was administered once prior to the beginning of sessions and once following the conclusion of the two-week treatment period to determine if participation in music therapy significantly improved executive function skills. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was run to determine the effect of two different treatment interventions on post-intervention executive function scores after controlling for pre-intervention executive function scores. Results indicated no statistically significant improvement in executive function scores post-intervention in either group. However, post-intervention raw scores improved for 100% of music therapy participants and 40% for talk-based group participants. Music therapy yielded a higher retention rate over the treatment span than the talk-based group. This study supports the need for further investigation regarding the benefits of music therapy interventions to enhance various aspects of executive function in the inmate population. Keywords music therapy, corrections, mental health, executive function, inmates, BRIEF-A, ANCOV