How do moments of insight in personal therapy impact the professional lives of music therapists?

Abstract

This study presents the findings of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on the professional impact of insight moments that occur in the personal therapy sessions of music therapists. Four board-certified music therapists participated in semi-structured interviews and described experiences in personal therapy that impacted their professional lives. In addition, participants described experiences from their own music therapy sessions that related to their personal therapy insights. Participants also shared how other methods of professional development compare with personal therapy. Other methods such as self-care and supervision were included in the literature review to support this comparison. It was observed that there is little literature in regards to the professional impact of personal therapy for music therapists. Therefore, literature from relevant therapeutic fields such as psychology and social work were included to help supplement the literature review. Four emergent themes were derived from the data: empathy for clients, therapeutic presence, clear boundaries, and learning new skills. The results of this research may inform music therapists about the potential professional benefits of personal therapy.