Music therapists' experiences of practicing family-based music therapy: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Although music therapy work with families has been documented for many years, the focus has remained on techniques and client outcomes rather than therapeutic process. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding and knowledge of the lived experience of music therapists who practice family-based music therapy. This research was conducted within the interpretative phenomenological framework. Three subjects who provided family-based music therapy participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences. Three main interpretative themes emerged from the analysis of the data relative to the therapists’ expressed experience of their work with families: perseverance, resilience, and faith in the process. Discussion of the results, strengths and limitations of the study, and implications for training and further research are presented.