The
contribution of Music Therapists
Introduction
There are approximately 600 music
therapists in the UK. Within the NHS music therapists are
employed in specialist mental health settings. They provide
accessible and sustained help to the patient with complex mental
health difficulties who may not be able or willing to access
traditional talking therapies. Service users are keen to
access music therapy and demand currently outstrips
supply.
Music making is a powerful agent for positive social change in
bringing people together particularly where there are different
social, cultural and hierarchical contexts. Within mental
health services, music therapists use their particular clinical
skills within the context of a safe therapy relationship to promote
healthy interactions, on a personal, group or institutional level
and within settings where creativity is often under threat.
In North Westminster Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit
Music Therapists collaborate with staff and patients in a weekly
community building music therapy session. This aim is to
promote understanding and good relations in a challenging
environment.
Contact:anna.maratos@nhs.net
or orii.mcdermott@nhs.net
Career routes and progression
Music therapists’ basic training is at Masters
Degree level. Areas of study include child development;
psychotherapeutic approaches; clinical studies relating to mental
illness; clinical application of musical improvisation; research
methods. Personal psychotherapy/music therapy are mandatory
as is a professional standard of musicianship. Supervision of
music therapists involves reflection on the meaning of the
interaction in an interpersonal context and close examination of
the co-improvisations by listening back to the sessions, which are
recorded.
Challenges/Oppportunities
Traditional perspectives of music therapy
focus on the activity of making music rather than as a supportive
and challenging treatment option
Music therapy needs to be recognised as a key treatment for
patients with particular needs. Music therapists can also
provide consultation, supervision and generic mental health
practice.
At SW London & St. George’s Mental Health NHS
Trust music therapists work at Tier 3 CAMHS undertaking generic
assessment work as well as music therapy interventions. Music
therapy plays a key role in the multi-disciplinary communication
disorders
clinic.
Contact: Stephen.Sandford@chelwest.nhs.uk
Music therapy requires further development and
standardisation of formalised assessment tools for use within
complex mental health settings and in contribution to
NICE.
Music therapists at CNW London Mental Health NHS Trust
collaborated with researchers at Imperial College London to examine
the effectiveness of music therapy for inpatients with
Schizophrenia. Results of this randomised control trial are
included in the Cochrane Review of music therapy for schizophrenia
which shows evidence for the effectiveness of this
treatment.
Contact: Stephen.Sandford@chelwest.nhs.uk
Increased recognition and use of senior music
therapists’ competencies is growing within management and service
development areas as well as through AHP consultant therapist
posts. Professional Lead, Management and consultant music
therapist posts now exist within London Mental Health Services
Music therapists need to work more in collaboration with
arts-in-health practitioners who are working in challenging
clinical settings without clinical training.
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