Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

1) Can ten BMGIM sessions improve the mood of the participants?
2) Can ten BMGIM sessions improve the quality of life of the participants?
3) Can music and imagery help the participants in their rehabilitation process?
4) What is the experience of the participants of BMGIM and its effects on mood
and quality of life in the rehabilitation process?
5) What is the specific nature of the imagery or image configuration of cancer
survivors in BMGIM?
6) How does the imagery develop and/or is re-configured during BMGIM
therapy?
7) What elements are there that describe the relationship between the music and
the imagery transformations?
Subquestions 1-3 are addressed in a quantitative investigation with 10 hypotheses,
while
subquestions 4-7 are addressed in a qualitative investigation in three parts:
Part I with focus on the participants’ experience of the BMGIM therapy,
Part II with focus on the imagery,
Part III with focus on the interrelationship between music and imagery.
Theoretical foundations
A comprehensive review of the literature on music therapy in cancer care is presented,
with a focus on the application of BMGIM to the discrete phases of cancer treatment
(diagnosis, curative medical care, rehabilitation, palliative care) (chapter 2). The
review shows that many case studies have indicated the potential of BMGIM and
adaptations of the model in rehabilitation and palliative care of cancer patients and
other patients living with a life-threatening disease. However only two effect studies
were identified, one of which was a controlled study.
A comprehensive review of the literature on metaphor and narrative in cognitive
psychology, psychotherapy, musicology and music therapy is presented (chapter 3).
The purpose of the review is to establish a theoretical framework and database for the
qualitative investigation. The review includes a presentation of Paul Ricouer’s
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