Loading...
Nordoff-Robbins music therapists’ experience of Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘Flow’ during clinical improvisation: an interpretive phenomenological inquiry
Journal Title
Readers/Advisors
Murphy, Kathleen, Zhang, Jingwen, Stuart-Rohm, Karyn
Journal Title
Term and Year
Spring 2025
Publication Date
2025-05
Book Title
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Publication Begin
Publication End
Number of pages
Collections
Files
Loading...
Geyer_Thesis.pdf
Adobe PDF, 759.1 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory has been explored in relation to a wide range of topics, from sports performance to education. There has been a substantial amount of research on flow and music. There have been a few studies conducted exploring flow in the context of music therapy, however there is a paucity of research related to this topic. Two studies have explored flow as it slows up during music therapy clinical improvisation, both of which are unpublished. Two interviews were conducted and analyzed to explore how music therapists working with the Nordoff-Robbins approach experience and talk about flow during clinical improvisation. Results included four themes related to the participants’ experiences of flow: 1) therapists’ internal experiences during clinical flow, 2) therapists’ experiences of the music during clinical flow, 3) perceived conditions of clinical flow, and 4) beliefs about the therapeutic value of clinical flow. Clinical flow experiences were characterized by many aspects that are easily equitable to characteristics described by Csikszentmihalyi (1990) and Csikszentmihalyi et al. (2018). Participants also discussed flow characteristics related specifically to the improvised music. Participants’ responses suggest that their flow experiences during sessions were predicated largely on the therapeutic relationship. They also believed that flow experiences during clinical improvisation are often shared between the client and therapist. Participants further shared the belief that flow experiences during sessions have positive impacts on therapy. The results of this study suggest that flow might be a useful construct for understanding significant moments that occur during clinical improvisation. Keywords: Flow, Improvisation, Nordoff-Robbins
Citation
DOI
Description
Accessibility Statement
If this SOAR repository item is not accessible to you (e.g. able to be used in the context of a disability), please email libraryaccessibility@newpaltz.edu