Derrington 2012 thesis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

someone. The main themes which emerged were: feeling listened to, feeling safe,
feeling relaxed and free, and feeling in control. These reflected, and therefore
support, the student-centred approach of sessions which focused on congruence,
unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding (4.3.1). Many students
mentioned fun and others felt that the ability to choose and try something new was
the best part.
The feedback from the students has created a solid case for music therapy
intervention. It was surprising and moving to hear how these young people were able
to reflect on their positive experience of music therapy. Many felt that it had made a
very definite impact on their lives and helped them to make sense of some of their
experiences.
The need to incorporate qualitative data into an outcome-based study has been
supported by the wealth of evidence from these interviews. None of the students
reported negative experiences. This could be attributed to wanting to ‘saying the right
thing’, however their comments, as quoted verbatim throughout this chapter,
generally suggest clear understandings of what music therapy was about and a
genuine approval of its worth. The students who could not express themselves as
easily tended to give shorter responses but their answers were just as clear and
emphatic: “Erm, can help with everything” (Mark, appendix 7.1.4, p.218).
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