2023 - Full Presentation Schedule

Therapeutic Presence in Music Therapy Education

Start Date

31-3-2023 2:30 PM

End Date

31-3-2023 2:45 PM

Location

CASB 118 - Graduate Health Sciences

Document Type

Presentation

Abstract

Therapeutic presence (TP) is considered to be fundamental to the therapeutic relationship and a therapist’s effectiveness (e.g., Eberhart & Atkins, 2014; Geller, 2013, 2017; Geller & Greenberg, 2012; Hayes, 2014; Hayes & Vinca, 2017). It is surprising, therefore, that there is little music therapy research on TP.

This study explored the inclusion of TP in music therapy education. Participants were eight credentialed music therapists who identified as music therapy educators and/or clinical supervisors. They attended one of two focus groups and were asked to submit a 1-minute excerpt of themselves improvising a reflection of their focus group’s discussion.

Focus group data revealed four themes: (1) Defining TP; (2) Education and Supervision Responsibilities; (3) TP is Taught Through Experiential Learning; and (4) Learning TP is a Developmental Process. Participants defined TP as simultaneously incorporating both states of being and action. For them, TP was primarily taught in clinical training, including supervision, though is also taught in academic courses through experiential teaching methods. Improvisation data resulted in an original composition, “Therapeutic Presence: Improvisation Collage,” which includes excerpts from all six improvisation recordings. Its elements of tempo, key, dynamics, and instrumentation also reflect the commonalities in the elements among the six improvisations.

Keywords: therapeutic presence, music therapy, music therapy education, improvisation, arts-based research

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Mar 31st, 2:30 PM Mar 31st, 2:45 PM

Therapeutic Presence in Music Therapy Education

CASB 118 - Graduate Health Sciences

Therapeutic presence (TP) is considered to be fundamental to the therapeutic relationship and a therapist’s effectiveness (e.g., Eberhart & Atkins, 2014; Geller, 2013, 2017; Geller & Greenberg, 2012; Hayes, 2014; Hayes & Vinca, 2017). It is surprising, therefore, that there is little music therapy research on TP.

This study explored the inclusion of TP in music therapy education. Participants were eight credentialed music therapists who identified as music therapy educators and/or clinical supervisors. They attended one of two focus groups and were asked to submit a 1-minute excerpt of themselves improvising a reflection of their focus group’s discussion.

Focus group data revealed four themes: (1) Defining TP; (2) Education and Supervision Responsibilities; (3) TP is Taught Through Experiential Learning; and (4) Learning TP is a Developmental Process. Participants defined TP as simultaneously incorporating both states of being and action. For them, TP was primarily taught in clinical training, including supervision, though is also taught in academic courses through experiential teaching methods. Improvisation data resulted in an original composition, “Therapeutic Presence: Improvisation Collage,” which includes excerpts from all six improvisation recordings. Its elements of tempo, key, dynamics, and instrumentation also reflect the commonalities in the elements among the six improvisations.

Keywords: therapeutic presence, music therapy, music therapy education, improvisation, arts-based research