This study investigated the feasibility of a new music therapy assessment tool, the Music Therapy Assessment for Resilience (MTAR), designed to evaluate psychological resilience in adults during inpatient treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) at a research facility where music therapy was a contracted service. Using a single-group correlational feasibility design evaluating concurrent validity at 2 time points, the MTAR was administered alongside the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to 16 participants over 2 weeks. Results demonstrated strong positive correlations between the MTAR and CD-RISC at both testing intervals (r = .847, time 1 and r = .832, time 2), indicating preliminary evidence of concurrent validity. Additionally, participants reported high levels of clarity and ease in completing the MTAR (M = 4.81 on a 5-point scale), supporting its acceptability. Findings suggest that the MTAR is feasible and demonstrates early signals toward concurrent validity. This study contributes to ongoing efforts to develop clinician-created music therapy assessments that aim to capture music-based therapeutic change and offers recommendations for feasibility research in assessment development.
The purpose of this descriptive research study was twofold: (a) To identify how United States clinicians are seeking, providing, and receiving professional clinical supervision in their practice; and (b) to examine the frequency of clinical supervision in the private practice setting. Thirty-nine participants who self-identified as either a private practice business owner or private practice clinician responded to an online survey. Employees and contractors noted several benefits of clinical supervision, which included feeling valued as a music therapist, reduction in feelings of burnout, and clearer boundaries with their supervisor. Private practice business owners noted that clinical supervision led to improvements in interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills of their employees and contractors. Participants identified affordability and accessibility as major factors that either facilitated or hindered clinical supervision.
This article details the 4-year journey of a client named Carol in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, conducted by a music therapist in training in the Nordoff-Robbins Approach. Carol is a young adult with a global developmental delay associated with Angelman syndrome. The weekly sessions were divided into three major phases: (1) The beginning of the process, in 2019, which depicts the musical potentials and challenges perceived in the first sessions and the goals set; (2) Novel experiences to stay connected, which include remote prerecorded sessions and the enlargement of the therapist team, both carried out in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) Singing-laughing, which describes musical engagement and the development of Carol's vocal expressiveness during in-person sessions in 2022. All phases are illustrated with video excerpts and musical transcriptions from sessions. Listening to Carol's musical potential, musically inviting her to play and sing, and supporting her expressiveness through melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic forms were essential for us to share meaningful musical experiences and, thus, for Carol to benefit from music therapy.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have a higher prevalence of mental health disorders and general mental health needs than neurotypical individuals; however, the music therapy research on addressing these needs is limited. The purpose of this study was to collect information through a qualitative survey regarding the clinical practices and perspectives of music therapists (MT-BCs) for supporting the mental health needs of individuals with IDs. The results from the 8 participants revealed that MT-BCs are aware of the presence of mental health needs, higher risk of trauma, differences in mental health needs, and the false assumptions related to ID and mental health, but there are personal gaps in knowledge regarding mental health needs. Participants believe that their role in supporting these needs is through promoting and aiding in self-expression, fostering connection, demonstrating the use of music for generalizable skills, and addressing needs in the moment, all while staying within their scope of practice. Participants work toward emotional skills and self-expression goals utilizing various music therapy techniques and adapting them based on the needs of the service users. Participants would like more education and discussion on this topic, the addressing of mental health needs in music therapy sessions and for MT-BCs to have a greater awareness of assumptions and biases related to ID and mental health. The researchers recommend future replications of this study, feasibility, and acceptability studies to test techniques stated and for the information from this study to be used to inform music therapy undergraduate educational requirements and continuing education opportunities.
Females undergoing substance abuse treatment have unique needs, especially if they were pregnant while engaging in substance use. Similarly, their infants often experience the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), going through withdrawal after birth and exhibiting difficult-to-manage behaviors. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to review the diverse needs of mothers who are undergoing substance abuse treatment and their infants who have NAS and (2) to provide an overview of evidence-based empirical research regarding the use of music therapy as a nonpharmacological treatment to address their diverse needs, particularly as a dyad. A review of relevant empirical music therapy research literature indicates that current techniques and protocols for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and premature infants receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit might be effective in treating mothers with SUD and infants with NAS. Music therapists using these protocols can address mothers' mental health needs, infants' NAS needs, and appropriate mother-infant interactions and bonding through co-treatment.
