The experience of music therapists working with clients with schizophrenia

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of music therapists who work with clients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The main focus of this study was the music therapists’ perceptions of how music therapy impacted these clients. The data was collected through individual, semi-structured interviews that occurred in person and via telephone conversations. The participants were four board-certified music therapists who worked with this population within the last five years. The interviews were coded and analyzed, revealing two overarching categories and four themes. The first category was The Perceived Impact of Music Therapy on Clients. This category contained the themes: Growth Reported by Music Therapists a nd Growth Reported by Clients . The second category was Experiences in Music Therapy . This category contained the themes: Personal Experiences of Music Therapists and Perceptions of Client Experiences . All four participants reported that their clients have experienced growth as a result of music therapy. These reports were from the perspectives of the participants, as well as the perspectives of their clients. The participants described that their overall experience in working with this population was enjoyable, and that their clients seemed to have positive experiences in music therapy.