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The influences of inter music therapy on music therapists who experience it

ABSTRACT Introduction To date, there is sparse literature addressing analytical music therapists’ experiences in analytical music therapy (AMT) training. Method This study incorporated transcendental phenomenological research methodology to explore the lived experiences of six analytical music therapists who underwent inter music therapy (IMT) with Benedikte Scheiby. The main research questions driving this study were as follows: (a) What is the IMT experience like for an AMT trainee? (b) How does IMT shape the clinical practice of music therapists who have experienced it? Data were collected through interviews. Data analysis was systematic and carried out in two multi-step phases. Results This study revealed that IMT is intense, challenging, and transformative, and shaped music therapists’ clinical skills in several ways. The following themes emerged: (a) Celebrating skill development through experiencing challenging situations, (b) the experiential process as a path towards therapist self-awareness, (c) the value of music in the therapeutic process, (d) the non-hierarchical learning environment, (e) trust, and (f) the importance of recordings and log writing to integrate learning. Discussion The impacts upon music therapists’ clinical skills were vast and rich, suggesting that learning through self-experience is deeply meaningful. This, coupled with the significance of the trainer’s physical presence throughout the process, led to the following recommendations to music therapy training programs: programs should incorporate authentic self-experiences with music; the field should create competencies for music therapy supervisors, and provide training to supervisors; and professors/supervisors should increase opportunities for students/supervisees to have live observation of their clinical work to enhance their supervision experience.