Exploring the role of music therapy in attachment, identity & creativity : a case study

Abstract

Music therapy has been implemented within healthcare to treat individual’s suffering from various forms of illness today. Music and the creative process are a fundamental component human life, bringing order to inner chaos and understanding to our human experience. However the intricacies of the creative process within clinical music therapy leaves many question unanswered and its tangible effects often remain illusive to those outside of the therapeutic process.

This case aims to illustrate the unique music therapy process of Mary, a young woman suffering from emotional, identity and attachment problems. This case also seeks to document and explore how the therapeutic relationship and the music were used in bring forth therapeutic change. The therapeutic process was conceptualised and previous literature was applied in order to explain and provide new insight into the therapeutic process. This case has the potential to further thinking if how music therapy can be used with clients suffering from emotional, identity and/or attachment disorders.

This study was conducted within a clinical context during the Fall of 2015. The client attended twelve weeks of music therapy while each session was recorded on video. The video data, the therapist’s notes and the client’s post therapy reflection were used as primary sources of data for the analysis. An inductive qualitative case study approach was implemented, as the IPA case study method was used as a methodological basis for the data analysis.

This case study demonstrated how the therapeutic might be used as a facilitator for the process and in the provision of a secure base and attachment relationship. Furthermore the role of music was studied extensively and concluded that music may be used a powerful tool for symbolising pain, building the therapeutic relationship, facilitating emotional expression and empowering an increased sense of identity.