“It’s Not What’s Done, But Why It’s Done”: Music Therapists’ Understanding of Normalisation, Maximisation and the Neurodiversity Movement

This position paper offers our personal reflections as five music therapists from varying social and international contexts attempting to understand and engage with the theory, politics and implications of the Neurodiversity Movement. We begin by positioning our views on the importance of the therapist’s intentionality when working with individuals for whom this social, cultural and political movement may represent central beliefs and values. The evolution of the Neurodiversity Movement is discussed, growing from the social model of disability and Disability Rights Movements to present a challenge to the dominant, medicalised model of disability. Throughout the paper, we invite critical debate around the role, position and attitude of the music therapist when working with neurodivergent participants, taking the powerful words of Autistic author and activist, Penni Winter, as our provocation. Finally, we offer our interpretation of key concepts and dimensions of this discourse, before sharing examples of how we might apply these understandings to tangible tenets of music therapy practice in different contexts through a series of brief composite case stories. Through critical reflection and discussion, we attempt to draw together the threads of these diverse narratives to challenge a normocentric position, and conclude by posing further questions for the reader and the wider music therapy profession

Perspectives on Musical Care Throughout the Life Course: Introducing the Musical Care International Network

Giorgos Tsiris - ORCID: 0000-0001-9421-412X https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9421-412XIn this paper we report on the inaugural meetings of the Musical Care International Network held online in 2022. The term “musical care” is defined by Spiro and Sanfilippo (2022) as “the role of music—music listening as well as music-making—in supporting any aspect of people's developmental or health needs” (pp. 2–3). Musical care takes varied forms in different cultural contexts and involves people from different disciplines and areas of expertise. Therefore, the Musical Care International Network takes an interdisciplinary and international approach and aims to better reflect the disciplinary, geographic, and cultural diversity relevant to musical care. Forty-two delegates participated in 5 inaugural meetings over 2 days, representing 24 countries and numerous disciplines and areas of practice. Based on the meetings, the aims of this paper are to (1) better understand the diverse practices, applications, contexts, and impacts of musical care around the globe and (2) introduce the Musical Care International Network. Transcriptions of the recordings, alongside notes taken by the hosts, were used to summarise the conversations. The discussions developed ideas in three areas: (a) musical care as context-dependent and social, (b) musical care's position within the broader research and practice context, and (c) debates about the impact of and evidence for musical care. We can conclude that musical care refers to context-dependent and social phenomena. The term musical care was seen as useful in talking across boundaries while not minimizing individual disciplinary and professional expertise. The use of the term was seen to help balance the importance and place of multiple disciplines, with a role to play in the development of a collective identity. This collective identity was seen as important in advocacy and in helping to shape policy. The paper closes with proposed future directions for the network and its emerging mission statement.https://doi.org/10.1177/205920432312005536aheadofprintaheadofprin

Back to my Mother Tongue: Challenging the Ideal of one Language for all in Music Therapy

"I wish you would teach in Arabic," a student tells me. She takes my breath away: that language barrier again. So familiar. About a year ago, following an ongoing struggle with academic English, I returned to Hebrew, reclaiming the freedom of writing and speech, even at the cost of sharing my thoughts with a wider audience, publishing my texts, and achieving more recognition. This critical essay describes the experience of a non- English-speaking music therapist and academic through the prism of language and power. The complex influences of verbal speech are described. The ideal of international language, its benefits and its consequences are presented as well. The author's story, her mother tongue, Hebrew, and a recent Israeli survey on the accessibility of language may serve to shine a light on possibly similar experiences of non-English-speaking music therapists. The experiences of a Palestinian, Arab-speaking music therapist also complement this narrative. In closing, the author reflects on the possible implications of dominant languages on the global music therapy community and challenges the value of this ideal.  תקציר "לו רק לימדתם בערבית" אומרת בסוף ההרצאה הסטודנטית האחרונה שנשארה בכיתה. אני מרימה אליה ראש ומפסיקה לנשום, המומה מהכנות שלה. היא משיבה אותי אל מחסום השפה שגם אני חווה: אל אותו רגע לפני שנה שבו החלטתי לשוב לכתוב בשפת אמי לאחר מאבק מתמשך עם האנגלית האקדמית. לתבוע מחדש את חירות המחשבה והדיבור אפילו במחיר צמצום היכולת לפרסם, לחלוק מחשבות עם העולם המקצועי הרחב ולקבל הכרה מקצועית. המאמר הנוכחי, מאמר ביקורת, עוסק בבעיית השפה של מטפלות ומטפלים במוסיקה ואקדמאים בעלי שפת אם שאינה אנגלית. מתוארות במאמר השפעותיה המורכבות של שפה על האדם: יתרונותיה והמחירים שהיא גובה. חווייתם של מטפלים במוסיקה שאינם דוברי אנגלית במקור מודגמת באמצעות סיפורה האישי של המחברת ושפת אמה, העברית, ובעזרת סקר בו השתתפו מטפלים במוסיקה העובדים במדינת ישראל. משלימה את המסע חווייתה של מטפלת במוסיקה פלסטינית הדוברת ערבית כשפת אם. בעקבות כל אלה המאמר נוגע בהשלכות האפשריות של שפות בינלאומיות דומיננטיות על התפתחותן של קהילות מקצוע מקומיות, ועל הקהילה העולמית של טיפול במוסיקה. בין המילים משולבים קטעי אמנות חזותית וקול להרחבה והמחשה

Creative Arts Therapy in the “Remote Therapeutic Response” Format in the Education System

Many creative arts therapists work in the education system on a regular basis. As a result of the pandemic, all have had to treat students in a “remote therapeutic response” format. The aim of the present study was to map creative arts therapists' perceptions of the “remote therapeutic response” in the education system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 creative arts therapists who participated in the study. The consensual qualitative research approach yielded seven domains: (1) the emotional experiences of transitioning to a remote therapeutic response; (2) the implementation of the remote therapeutic response; (3) benefits of remote creative arts therapy; (4) challenges in remote creative arts therapy; (5) remote contact with parents; (6) working in the educational system; (7) insights and recommendations. Although the findings show that creative arts therapists believe that remote creative arts therapy will never be a fully satisfactory replacement for most clients, remote work, despite its many difficulties and challenges, has also opened the door to new possibilities in the world of creative arts therapy in the education system

Creative Arts Therapy in the “Remote Therapeutic Response” Format in the Education System

Many creative arts therapists work in the education system on a regular basis. As a result of the pandemic, all have had to treat students in a “remote therapeutic response” format. The aim of the present study was to map creative arts therapists\u27 perceptions of the “remote therapeutic response” in the education system. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 creative arts therapists who participated in the study. The consensual qualitative research approach yielded seven domains: (1) the emotional experiences of transitioning to a remote therapeutic response; (2) the implementation of the remote therapeutic response; (3) benefits of remote creative arts therapy; (4) challenges in remote creative arts therapy; (5) remote contact with parents; (6) working in the educational system; (7) insights and recommendations. Although the findings show that creative arts therapists believe that remote creative arts therapy will never be a fully satisfactory replacement for most clients, remote work, despite its many difficulties and challenges, has also opened the door to new possibilities in the world of creative arts therapy in the education system

The Meaning of a Group Facilitation Training to Creative Arts Therapists Working in the Public Education System

Many creative arts therapists who provide group therapy to children and adolescents in the Israeli education system do not feel they were sufficiently trained as group facilitators. Group facilitation training was provided over the course of two consecutive years by a regional support center to over 40 creative arts therapists and their clinical supervisors working in the Israel Ministry of Education. A two-stage qualitative research project examined the participants’ experiences during this training. Interviews were conducted regarding the therapists’ first-year experiences. A questionnaire was administered at the end of the second year. Both were analyzed according to the Consensual Qualitative Research method. The research findings pertain to the participants’ perceptions of group arts therapy in the Israeli education system and included the development of unique group models, the advantages and power of group therapy at school, and the intimidating and disruptive experiences of school settings. The participants also provided their impressions of the training course: their growing confidence and skills, and the many changes required in group arts therapy at public schools to provide more professional and efficient service. The discussion centers on the value of group arts therapy in the education system and the steps needed to enhance therapists’ confidence and efficiency in this field