E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

D'ulisse, M. E.. et al.: Music Therapy Conducted On A Child ...
accompanied by tears, tremors and fainting fits alternating with sudden
outbursts of anger. The mother took little part, trying to control her
husband more for the manner of his speaking than the content of what he
was saying, and generally appeared to be in a submissive position. The
father can only be defined as a borderline case (later we heard from the
public health service neuro-psychiatrist that the father had been diagnosed
as a potential manic psychotic and that attempts had been made to entrust
R to the social services, thus removing him from his parents’ care).
After the first three interviews, and when the parents had been told about
R’s tendency to leave the room, they expressed their fear that the
therapists were unable to “control” their son and that he might end up
hurting himself. They suggested that they should keep an eye on their son so
as to be able to intervene at any time. At this point, the team of therapists
took a stand and asked the parents to continue their interviews with the
psychologist saying that these encounters would take place at the same
time as R’s music therapy sessions. The therapists explained to the parents
that this decision was motivated by the need to work together in order to
find an explanation for their son’s behavior.
After eight sessions, the case was brought to the attention of Prof. Rolando
Benenzon because there were still serious problems with controlling R’s
behavior during the sessions.
Following this, further changes were made in the arrangement of the
setting:
1) the door to the room was locked during sessions;
2) potentially “dangerous” musical instruments were exchanged for lighter,
more maneuverable ones (newspapers, water clock, sponge balloon, rattles,
etc);
3) the therapists kept their distance from R so as to preserve his territory
and not invade his private space.
The sequence of events in the next session was as follows:
a) the locked door provoked an aggressive demand from R that it should be
opened – this was not done;
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