A Descriptive Analysis of the Educational Perceptions, Professional Identity, and Professional Practices of Dual-Trained Music Therapists as Counselors.

BACKGROUND: Given the rise in music therapy master's programs that offer dual degrees in music therapy and counseling or programs that satisfy state mental health counseling licensure laws, the professional counseling field is playing an increased role in the advanced education and professional practices of music therapists. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that lead music therapists to pursue advanced education with an emphasis in professional counseling, perceptions about benefits and drawbacks for three advanced degree options (i.e., music therapy, counseling, and music therapy/counseling dual degree), and describe the professional practices and identity of dual-trained music therapists as counselors. METHODS: A convenience sample of music therapists (n = 123) who held board certification, and held a master's degree or higher that emphasized professional counseling, completed an online survey. We used descriptive statistics to analyze categorical and numeric survey data. RESULTS: Eligibility for licensure as a professional counselor was the most important decisional factor in selecting a specific master's degree program. Respondents also reported favorable perceptions of the dual degree in music therapy and counseling. With regard to professional practice and identity, respondents reported high use of verbal processing techniques alongside music therapy interventions, and dual-trained music therapists retained their professional identity as a music therapist. CONCLUSIONS: The reported view of licensure in a related field as beneficial and frequent use of verbal processing techniques warrants future study into the role of counseling in the advanced training of music therapists. Given contradictory findings across studies, we recommend investigators also explore how a degree in a related field affects career longevity of music therapists.

Songs composed for use in music therapy: a survey of original songwriting practices of music therapists.

While researchers have documented the efficacy of clinical songwriting in music therapy, limited research has been conducted on songs composed by music therapists that address clinical goals. The purpose of this research was to examine the original songwriting practices of music therapists. Professional music therapists (N = 1,364) received a 14-question survey via email asking each to identify client populations and clinical goals addressed by original songs, their length of time in clinical practice, and specifics about their acquisition of songwriting skills. The data collected from 302 completed surveys revealed that respondents who used original songs were most likely to work with children and adolescents in schools or the developmental disability field and wrote songs in order to individualize treatment. Music therapists working with persons over 65 years of age in long term care or assisted living programs were the least likely to use original songs in clinical practice, opting for interventions utilizing the client's familiar music. Most music therapists found songwriting generally easy, but only 37% indicated that they acquired this skill during their undergraduate degree. Additional research on the clinical efficacy of original songs and therapist's compositional processes is needed to identify best practices models for strategic songwriting.

The use of control groups in music therapy research: a content analysis of articles in the Journal of Music Therapy.

The use of a control group is fundamental to experimental research design, though the use with clinical populations must be carefully considered. The purpose of this research was to examine the use of control groups in research with clinical and nonclinical populations published in Journal of Musical Therapy from 1964 through 2004. Criteria for inclusion were music or music therapy as an independent variable applied to one or more groups and at least one control group that did not receive a music treatment. Control groups were qualified as alternative treatment, placebo, no contact, and treatment as usual. Of the 692 articles, 94 met these criteria, 62 clinical and 32 nonclinical, representing 13.5% of the publications. Results indicated that research with clinical populations involved a mean of 38.1 subjects typically divided into two groups, an experimental and a control group. The pretest-posttest design was the most common (55%) as was a treatment as usual control group (45%). These design methods maximized the impact of the experimental music treatment on outcome. Experimental music groups significantly improved over control groups in the vast majority of studies identified. Undoubtedly, the foundation for evidence-based clinical practice is firm.

A comparison of songwriting and lyric analysis techniques to evoke emotional change in a single session with people who are chemically dependent.

The purpose of this study was to determine which music therapy technique was most effective in eliciting emotional change with persons who are chemically dependent during a single session. Participants attended either a songwriting (n = 13) or a lyric analysis group (n = 13). A Visual Analog Mood Scale containing 11 emotion variables was completed prior to and immediately following sessions. No significant differences were found between groups or among the emotion variables between groups for either the pre or posttest data. Significant differences were found among the emotion variables for both the pretest and posttest data. Music therapy significantly increased feelings of acceptance and joy/happiness/enjoyment and significantly reduced feelings of guilty/regretful/blame and fear/distrust. Though not statistically significant, mean emotional change was greater for 10 of 11 variables in the songwriting group. Seventy-five percent of subjects indicated on the Significant Moments in Treatment Questionnaire that music therapy sessions were a significant tool for their recovery. Irrespective of technique, music therapy elicited significant emotional change during a single session and was perceived as therapeutic by the participants.