Adapting to Change : How the COVID-19 Pandemic has Impacted the Music Therapy Profession

Abstract

COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, it has had an undeniable impact on many aspects of society, with far-reaching effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has likely affected music therapists in various ways, as they typically work in-person with their clients, often in healthcare related settings. This study aims to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the professional practice of music therapists. A questionnaire was shared online to certified music therapists around the world during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were three broad areas of inquiry that the questionnaire covered, including the situational changes and/or practical adaptations that music therapists have seen in their clinical practice, music therapists’ utilisation of technology in their practice in the transition to virtual therapeutic settings, and music therapists’ current self-perception of their professional identity. Results show that music therapists have adapted their professional practices in various ways, resulting in a diverse range of clinical settings. In some circumstances, music therapy has been deemed as an essential service, and music therapists have continued their practices in health care facilities. In others, music therapists have had to shift their practice to a telehealth model of care in order to resume seeing their clients in a virtual therapy setting. The divide between essential and non-essential music therapists is evident from the range of clinical settings reported, and stems further into music therapists’ perceptions of their professional identity. Music therapists who have transitioned to a virtual practice reported some positive business-related outcomes, but also reported limitations to their approaches and use of specific interventions. Results also indicate that there is some hesitancy or uncertainty in regard to relevant data protection laws and their applications within a virtual music therapy practice.