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Title: Experiences of Trust in Music Therapy
Abstract: This qualitative thematic analysis explored children’s varying degrees of trust during music therapy after having witnessed domestic violence. As rates of domestic violence increase across the United States, children’s sense of trust is affected and there is a need f...
Show moreThis qualitative thematic analysis explored children’s varying degrees of trust during music therapy after having witnessed domestic violence. As rates of domestic violence increase across the United States, children’s sense of trust is affected and there is a need for further music therapy research from the perspectives of these children. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four child survivors of domestic violence after receiving four months of music therapy to explore how they understand and experience trust, as well as how trusting relationships are established and maintained with a therapist. Additional questions considered personal qualities that lead to trust or distrust, aspects of music therapy experiences that lead to additional trust in the therapist at different times, how experiences of trust change over time, what contributes to this change, and how the sociocultural locations of the therapist and child influence trust. The findings demonstrated that trust is a complex process that evolves over time and depends on certain qualities in a therapist, familiarity, and various aspects of music therapy. Three main themes with 13 sub-themes were found: qualities for trust and distrust (qualities that increase trust, qualities that decrease trust), process of developing trust and overall evolution (initial distrust/trust, insecurities and fears from participants’ past, familiarity leads to trust, connection to family/friends, feelings and experiences with trust, builds over time), and qualities of music therapy experiences (autonomy and choice, familiarity and predictability, types of instruments, types of experiences, music contains a wide range of expression). Findings provide recommendations for how practicing music therapists can create a trusting therapeutic relationship with child, adolescent, and adult survivors of domestic violence.
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Year Issued: 2023

Author: Doron, Ashely
Sub-title: Perspectives of Child Survivors of Domestic Violence

Title: The Experiences of Women in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Engaging in Parent-Child Music Therapy Groups
Year Issued: 2023

Abstract: This thematic analysis explores the experiences of women in substance use disorder treatment who have participated in parent-child music therapy groups (“Mommy & Me Music Therapy”) and how these groups may contribute to parent-child bonding, parental self-efficacy, a...
Show moreThis thematic analysis explores the experiences of women in substance use disorder treatment who have participated in parent-child music therapy groups (“Mommy & Me Music Therapy”) and how these groups may contribute to parent-child bonding, parental self-efficacy, and social support among parents. Five women with substance use disorders who resided at the participating facility and engaged in at least six weeks of Mommy & Me Music Therapy groups took part in semi-structured interviews. Interview content was transcribed, analyzed, and coded. Themes that arose include improved parenting skills, parent-child relationship, feelings about self, community support, and outside uses of music. Throughout these themes, participants acknowledged how these groups impacted them in terms of bonding with their child, connecting with other women in the group, and striving to be the best possible parent for their child. Implications from the research include the importance of allowing a space for verbal processing within music therapy and including systems and family-based therapy training in music therapy education.
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Author: Cole, Halley

Title: The Impact of a Short-Term Music Therapy Program on Emotional Regulation Development in Preschool Age Children Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Year Issued: 2024

Abstract: Early child development has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which effects later development through school and adulthood (Davies et al., 2021; Jiao et al. 2020; Paulauskaite et al., 2021; Spiteri, 2021; Takahashi and Honda, 2021; Timmons et al., 2021). Concer...
Show moreEarly child development has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which effects later development through school and adulthood (Davies et al., 2021; Jiao et al. 2020; Paulauskaite et al., 2021; Spiteri, 2021; Takahashi and Honda, 2021; Timmons et al., 2021). Concerns related to early childhood development of academic and social-emotional skills, including emotion regulation, have arisen due to isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been linked to increased school readiness, forming positive relationships, and preventing maladaptive behaviors in older childhood and adulthood. Music therapy has been shown to support emotion regulation skills in older childhood and adolescence (Foran, 2009; Ross, 2016; Williams, 2018; Zhenyu and Zhenhua, 2022). There is limited research on the use of music therapy in early childhood for emotion regulation. Since the developmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to understand ways music therapy can support emotion regulation development in early childhood. This study used a short-term music therapy program focused on shifting arousal levels in preschool-age children to understand the effect on emotion regulation skill development in early childhood with two groups experiencing music therapy over the course of eight weeks compared to eight weeks of typical learning. Participants were assessed at baseline, following music therapy, and following typical learning for emotion regulation skills. 83% of participants experienced a reduction in behavioral concerns with music therapy. Half of participants increased self-regulation with music therapy. On average all participants with music therapy intervention increased social-emotional and attention and self-control skills. This research shows potential for improving emotion-regulation skill in early childhood, but future research is needed with a larger sample size. Other areas of social-emotional skills could benefit from future research in preschool-age children, such as attachment.
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Author: Oldland, Kelsey

Title: Loneliness, Covid-19, and music
Abstract: This thesis explores the experiences of older adults during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this research is about a specific time in history, the information that has been gathered from it is has been relevant for decades. In this study, fifteen ind...
Show moreThis thesis explores the experiences of older adults during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this research is about a specific time in history, the information that has been gathered from it is has been relevant for decades. In this study, fifteen individuals residing at a nursing home where I worked, as a music therapist working in the activities department, share their experiences of loneliness during lockdown that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted by gathering data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Each participant completed a loneliness scale questionnaire and took part in a semi-structured interview. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The interview content was coded using descriptive coding and grouped into themes and analyzed. Themes emerged to coincide with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s 5 Stages of Grief. These themes were Not Feeling Any Different/Nothing Has Changed, Feelings of Frustration/Feeling Restricted, Wishing Things Were Different, Feelings of Loss, and Feelings of Acceptance, Hope, and Faith. Additionally, a theme centered around the role of music in participants’ lives. Discussion of the of the implications of the results of this study, as well as limitations and recommendations for future research were explored.
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Year Issued: 2021

Author: Rieger, Rhiannon
Sub-title: Experiences of older adults in a nursing home

Title: Potentials and barriers to culturally responsive music therapy education
Abstract: Abstract This qualitative focus group study explored perceptions of potentials and barriers to cultural responsiveness in music therapy education. Music therapy literature calls for an increase in culturally informed music therapy practice. However, despite cultural ...
Show moreAbstract This qualitative focus group study explored perceptions of potentials and barriers to cultural responsiveness in music therapy education. Music therapy literature calls for an increase in culturally informed music therapy practice. However, despite cultural considerations present in music therapy professional competencies, there are no standards for culturally responsive pedagogical practices. Simultaneously, there has been an acknowledgment in the music therapy literature of challenges to culturally responsive practices, such as the homogeneous, privileged identities dominant in music therapy's professional demographics, compounded by the privileging of Western classical music in music therapy education. In this exploratory study, an online focus group discussion was facilitated with seven music therapy educators to explore their perspectives on the definition of culturally responsive education, their reflective evaluations of their pedagogical practices, their perspectives on how standards of music therapy education inform and/or hinder the ability to foster cultural responsiveness, and their respective outlooks on how potentials and barriers to cultural responsiveness are impacting education, research, theory, and practice. Results demonstrated that educators who value cultural responsiveness believe it is being overlooked in the field of music therapy. Six themes with 34 sub-themes were found: defining cultural responsiveness (stances of humility, self-awareness, continual and constant attention, knowledge of systems of power, self-critique, process, accountability, skills), relevance to clinical practice (ethical responsibility, effect on the therapeutic relationship, effective versus ineffective practice), approaches in education (dedicated course work, infused throughout the program, gradually increasing depth, beyond the classroom, from the beginning, dialogical over technical, experiential learning), preparedness (personal/professional growth practice, training for supervisors and faculty, staying informed), institutional attitudes (the need for changing attitudes, the field is improving, superficiality, the burden on marginalized faculty, commitment to social justice, support from administration), and barriers (Eurocentricity, lack of diversity, AMTA, jam-packed program, no specific training, the need for research). These findings offer recommendations for how the field of music therapy approaches cultural responsiveness in our training programs.
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Year Issued: 2019

Author: Bain, Candice
Sub-title: Perspectives of music therapy educators