‘Self as Instrument’ – Safe and Effective Use of Self in Music Psychotherapy: Canadian Music Therapists’ Perceptions

This article introduces the results of a pilot survey conducted with accredited Canadian music therapists investigating their perceptions of personal psychotherapy and the concept of Safe and Effective Use of Self (SEUS) in the music therapy relationship. An emailed survey questionnaire covered both closed and openended questions on SEUS-related topics. The open-ended questions were analysed using the qualitative data analysis software Nvivo. Simple percentages were calculated to analyse the results of the closed-ended questions. The results suggest that music therapists engaging in psychotherapy seem to work with similar client populations, use similar theoretical approaches and techniques, and hold very similar training to other music therapists. These music therapists appear to have an excellent sense of SEUS, whether or not they practice psychotherapy. Conversely, their training on both SEUS and verbal counselling skills is often seen as inadequate. It is suggested that music therapists who practice psychotherapy have completed their own psychotherapy and have ongoing music psychotherapy supervision. The results can be utilised as a discussion stimulus for the topic of SEUS in music therapy

Something in the Air: Journeys of Self-Actualization in Musical Improvisation

The aim of this qualitative, abductive, and phenomenological inquiry was to develop categories based on participants\u27 perceptions of their improvisation and listening experiences. As using improvised music in clinical music therapy is an important method, this study expanded the knowledge of and language needed to describe this very sensitive and insightful communication process. If there is something in the air—what is it and is it something significant? Research questions included: 1. What kind of process is experienced when one improvises with an unknown person in an unfamiliar musical style? 2. What is in the air during live interactive improvisation? 3. What are the links between processes of self-actualization and peak experiences introduced by Abraham Maslow (1968) and the experiences described by the participants regarding their live improvised/interactive musical processes? The data of this study consisted of two audio-taped improvisations, three interviews, and the written reflections of six participants who participated in interactive live improvisation sessions. Ferrara\u27s method was adapted for the data collection and analysis. Research results are presented in the form of descriptive categories which give a clearer picture of what happens during the process of musical improvisatio

Something in the Air: Journeys of Self-Actualization in Musical Improvisation

The aim of this qualitative, abductive, and phenomenological inquiry was to develop categories based on participants\u27 perceptions of their improvisation and listening experiences. As using improvised music in clinical music therapy is an important method, this study expanded the knowledge of and language needed to describe this very sensitive and insightful communication process. If there is something in the air—what is it and is it something significant? Research questions included: 1. What kind of process is experienced when one improvises with an unknown person in an unfamiliar musical style? 2. What is in the air during live interactive improvisation? 3. What are the links between processes of self-actualization and peak experiences introduced by Abraham Maslow (1968) and the experiences described by the participants regarding their live improvised/interactive musical processes? The data of this study consisted of two audio-taped improvisations, three interviews, and the written reflections of six participants who participated in interactive live improvisation sessions. Ferrara\u27s method was adapted for the data collection and analysis. Research results are presented in the form of descriptive categories which give a clearer picture of what happens during the process of musical improvisatio

-Heroines’ Journey- Emerging Story by Refugee Women during Group Analytic Music Therapy

There has been some evidence of the benefits of participating in group analytic music therapy with traumatized people. This pilot clinical project investigates the impact of a combination of narrative therapy and group analytic music therapy on refugee/newcomer women in Canada. An ongoing therapy group met for a period of 8 sessions, to share stories and feelings of past experiences and of resettlement. The focus of this group was emotional expression (verbal and musical). Musical listening, improvisation, art, writing, clay-work, and relaxation techniques were used. Several consistent themes re-emerged, including feelings around loneliness, fear guilt, and loss. The analysis of the therapy process showed many commonalities among these women and the process they were going through to deal with their feelings

Cetacean presence on the northern Mid Atlantic Ridge revealed through passive acoustic monitoring

Cetaceans are known to utilise the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a key topographical feature in the Atlantic Ocean, for migratory and feeding purposes. Passive acoustic monitoring was used over a one-year period (2007/2008) to identify cetacean vocalisations that occurred on a location near the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone. Using species-specific vocalisations that have previously been documented in the North Atlantic, six cetacean species were identified: fin whales, blue whales, sei whales, humpback whales, minke whales and sperm whales; and three non- biological soundscape components were also identified: earthquakes, airguns from seismic exploration and shipping vessels. Call types from fin whales (20 Hz pulse and 40 Hz downsweep) and blue whales (A-B call and D-call) were identified separately, to explore intraspecific call variation. Temporal trends were identified in blue whales, sperm whales and humpback whales; whereas minke whales did not display a clear presence pattern. Fin whales and sei whales were present year-round. Fin whale 20 Hz pulses showed a peak in detections during winter, as did the 40 Hz downsweep, despite the low audible area ranges during these times due to strong fin whale choruses. The sei whale downsweep, however, was relatively constant throughout the entire year. Environmental and biological variables did not appear to explain much of the variation in cetacean presence, indicating that cetaceans use the MAR for migration purposes

The Effect of Low-Frequency Sound Stimulation on Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Clinical Study

Background: The search for effective treatments for fibromyalgia (FM) has continued for years. The present study premises that thalamocortical dysrhythmia is implicated in fibromyalgia and that low-frequency sound stimulation (LFSS) can play a regulatory function by driving neural rhythmic oscillatory activity. Objective: To assess the effect of LFSS on FM. Method: The present open-label study with no control group used a repeated-measures design with no noncompleters. Nineteen female volunteers (median age 51 years; median duration of FM 5.76 years) were administered 10 treatments (twice per week for five weeks). Treatments involved 23 min of LFSS at 40 Hz, delivered using transducers in a supine position. Measures (repeated before and after treatment) included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Jenkins Sleep Scale, Pain Disability Index, sitting and standing without pain (in minutes), cervical muscle range of motion and muscle tone. Mean percentages were calculated on end of treatment selfreports of improvement on pain, mood, insomnia and activities of daily living. Results: Significant improvements were observed with median scores: Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, 81% (P\u3c0.0001); Jenkins Sleep Scale, 90% (P\u3c0.0001); and Pain Disability Index, 49.1% (P\u3c0.0001). Medication dose was reduced in 73.68% of patients and completely discontinued in 26.32%. Time sitting and standing without pain increased significantly (P\u3c0.0001). Cervical muscle range of motion increased from 25% to 75% (P=0.001), while muscle tone changed from hypertonic to normal (P=0.0002). Conclusion: In the present study, the LFSS treatment showed no adverse effects and patients receiving the LFSS treatment showed statistically and clinically relevant improvement. Further phase 2 and 3 trials are warranted. Key Words

Short-Term Effects of Rhythmic Sensory Stimulation in Alzheimer’s Disease: An Exploratory Pilot Study

This study assessed the effect of stimulating the somatosensory system of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients at three stages of their illness with 40 Hz sound. In this AB cross-over study design, 18 participants (6 mild, 6 moderate, 6 severe) each participated in 13 sessions: one intake and 12 treatment. Treatment A consisted of 40 Hz sound stimulation and Treatment B consisted of visual stimulation using DVDs, each provided twice a week over 6 weeks for a total of 6 times per treatment. Outcome measures included: St. Louis University Mental Status Test (SLUMS), Observed Emotion Rating Scale, and behavioral observation by the researcher. Data were submitted to regression analysis for the series of 6 SLUMS scores in treatment A and 6 scores in B with comparison by group. The slopes for the full sample and subgroups in the 40 Hz treatment were all significant beyond alpha = 0.05, while those for the DVD were not. A thematic analysis of qualitative observations supported the statistical findings. 40 Hz treatment appeared to have the strongest impact on persons with mild and moderate AD. Results are promising in terms of a potential new treatment for persons with AD, and further research is needed

Ammatillinen välittäminen opettaja-oppilassuhteessa:miesluokanopettajien kertomuksia välittämisestä

Tiivistelmä. Pro gradumme aiheena on miesopettajan välittäminen opettaja-oppilassuhteessa alakoulukontekstissa. Aiemmassa tutkimuksessa välittämistä on määritelty hyvin naisvaltaisesti ja stereotypisoivalla tavalla sukupuolta korostavaksi. Valitsimme tutkimuksemme osallistujiksi miesopettajat, koska heidän ääntään on kuultu vähän välittämisen tutkimuksessa. Tutkimuksemme pääkäsitteenä on välittäminen, jonka ajattelemme olevan yksi rakkauden ilmenemismuoto. Tutkimuskysymyksemme on 1. Mitä miesopettajat kertovat välittämisestä opettaja-oppilassuhteessa?. Tähän kysymykseen etsimme vastauksen narratiivisen tutkimuksen keinoin. Narratiivisuus ei pyri yleistettävään totuuteen, vaan tarjoaa tietoa. Tutkimusaineiston muodostaa kolme kerronnallista haastattelua, joista yksi pohjautuu ennakkoon tehtyyn kirjoitelmaan. Haastattelimme kolmea pohjoissuomalaista miesopettajaa, joiden haastatteluissa käytimme puolistrukturoitua haastattelumenetelmää. Analysoimme tutkimusaineistomme teoriaohjaavalla sisällönanalyysilla. Miesopettajien kertomuksista saimme tulokseksi, että välittäminen opettajan työssä on pakollinen valinta sekä osa ammattitaitoa. Lisäksi he kertoivat välittämisen ilmenemisestä käytännössä. Opettajat ajattelivat tehneensä valinnan välittävän suhteen rakentamisesta jo ammatin valitessaan. Kertomusten mukaan opettajalla on velvollisuus välittää oppilaistaan ja olla kiinnostunut heidän asioistaan. Hänen täytyy tuntea oppilaansa, jotta hän voi välittää oppilaistaan ja osoittaa välittämistään heidän tarpeidensa mukaan. Välittäminen ei synny itsestään vaan se vaatii pitkäjänteistä työtä. Opettajan työssä välittäminen ilmenee käytännössä oppilaiden yksilöllisenä kohtaamisena, keskusteluilla heidän kanssaan sekä arkisena huolenpitona. Opettajien kertomuksissa välittämiseen liittyy myös haasteita. Välittävässä opettaja-oppilassuhteessa myös oppilailla on aktiivinen rooli. Miesopettajat kertoivat välittämisen olevan osa heidän työtään. He kertoivat voivansa välittää omalla persoonallaan. Välittämisen määritteleminen naisellisena ominaisuutena ja toimintana rajoittaa välittämisen näkemistä osana opettajan ammattitaitoa. Sukupuolet erottelevasta välittämisen määritelmästä tulee pyrkiä kohti ammatillisen välittämisen käsitettä. Kasvatuksen mahdollistumiseksi jokaisen opettajan on tärkeä luoda ammatillinen välittävä suhde oppilaidensa kanssa, sillä se on perustana opettajan työlle. Ammatillista välittämistä raamittavat perusopetuslaki, valtakunnallinen perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet sekä ammattieettiset ohjeet, mutta se ei kuitenkaan vaadi opettajalta tietynlaisia ominaisuuksia tai tapoja

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Song on a Subarctic Feeding Ground

Male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known to produce long complex sequences of structured vocalizations called song. Singing behavior has traditionally been associated with low latitude breeding grounds but is increasingly reported outside these areas. This study provides the first report of humpback whale songs in the subarctic waters of Northern Norway using a long-term bottom-moored hydrophone. Data processed included the months January–June 2018 and December 2018–January 2019. Out of 189 days with recordings, humpback whale singing was heard on 79 days. Singing was first detected beginning of January 2018 with a peak in February and was heard until mid-April. No singing activity was found during the summer months and was heard again in December 2018, continuing over January 2019. A total of 131 song sessions, including 35 full sessions, were identified throughout the study period. The longest and shortest complete sessions lasted 815 and 13 min, respectively. The results confirm that singing can be heard over several months in winter and spring on a high latitude feeding ground. This provides additional evidence to the growing literature that singing is not an explicit behavior confined to low latitude breeding grounds. The peak of song occurrence in February appears to coincide with the reproductive cycle of humpback whales. Finally, this study indicates that song occurrence on a subarctic feeding ground likely aids the cultural transmission for the North Atlantic humpback whale population.publishedVersio

Changes in humpback whale song structure and complexity reveal a rapid evolution on a feeding ground in Northern Norway

Singing behaviour by male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) has traditionally been associated with low-latitude breeding grounds. However, in recent years, this vocal behaviour has been increasingly reported outside these areas. All singers in a given population sing the same version of a song and this song is continually evolving over time with modifications on different levels within the song structure. Tracing changes in whale song will help to undercover the drivers underlying this vocal display and contribute to the understanding of animal culture and its evolution. To determine the progressive changes in songs found on a subarctic feeding ground and migratory stopover, a detailed analysis of humpback whale song recordings from Northern Norway was conducted. Passive acoustic data from the Lofoten-Vesterålen Ocean Observatory (LoVe), collected using a bottom-moored underwater hydrophone, were used from January - April 2018 and January 2019. Two measures of the song structure were examined: (1) sequence similarities using the Levenshtein distance and (2) song complexity using a principal component analysis (PCA). In total, 21 distinct themes were identified which presented highly directional, structural changes over time. Two themes from 2018 reoccurred in 2019, whereas all other themes in 2019 appeared to be evolved versions of 2018 themes. All songs grouped into three general clusters, reflecting the rapid evolution over the study period. With all sampled animals singing the same version of the song, this might indicate that the singers are either from the same breeding population or that song learning occurred before the study period. Song complexity appeared to follow the trend of song progression; songs became more complex as they evolved over the months in 2018 and decreased in complexity between the years, returning to a more simplified song in 2019. The results confirm that humpback whale song exhibits a rapid progression on a shared subarctic feeding ground, with strong potential for song exchange and opportunities for cultural transmission between populations in the North Atlantic