E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

Wheeler, Barbara: WMFT Proceedings of the Education Symposium
or another supervisor who is specialist in field.
Helen Odell Miller said that the JVC document that has been worked
on for many years includes both quantitative and qualitative aspects of
approving supervisors.
Ken Bruscia asked: What are we doing to each other? What are we
doing to ourselves? What is our need to do this? To screen people? It is
almost as though we’re drawing our discipline in non- or superhuman terms.
Are we passing on a legacy of self-torture? Self-scrutiny? Ken suggests that
there is a psychological process going on here that is not always healthy.
Barbara asked if we are making jobs for ourselves.
Denise said that we are just trying to establish some guidelines that
can be useful. putting in place guidelines for education and training that
can be useful in helping countries that are developing education and
training. This is something that is going to be global and it must be very
broad.
Connie suggested that this is just to put us on a par with other
professionals.
Tony asked for feedback from people in less developed areas. He
knows that some countries, for instance in Europe, will really welcome this
guidance.
Mayra said that she was wondering how countries with no training
courses will start and is concerned that they will never qualify. She is afraid
the guidelines will make it impossible for people to start music therapy
courses. Countries that already have music therapy courses can meet the
standards, but what happens in countries just trying to start. Tony answered
that perhaps middle level standards give them something that they can use.
We are trying to deal with countries where people start courses with no
qualification whatsoever. This is dangerous as people can go away from
some of those programs with no understanding of music therapy, but saying
that they know.
Denise emphasized that the WFMT is only wanting to provide
guidelines. It is not a monitoring group. Ken suggested that we are perhaps
not looking at guidelines as requirements, but rather guidelines for how to
do. Rather than making requirements, we could offer suggestions as to how
one could go about establishing a cadre of supervisors.
Denise felt that it would be helpful for WFMT to say that music
therapists. are musicians, since 95% of the world includes this as a
requirement. Perhaps some areas are requirements, others are
recommendations, and others dependent upon what a country’s association
finds useful.
Tony said that you would never find people in another profession
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