23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

developing problems. The music acted a s a trigger to
many of these feelings, enabling her to continue to open
up and talk to other staff at the Centre.
Resident C found that music was a very direct way to
contact her emotions. She cried when she heard the
sounds of one of the pitched instruments which
reminded her of the time when her son played the same
instrument at a school play. It was at this time that she
was nursing her own mother through her cancer. She
talked with insight of the innocence of the sounds which
reminded her of the warm contact, she had with her son
at that time. She was able to use this powerful
experience as a focus in the later visualisation work and
was able to develop the insights further in her painting
and other experiences at the Centre.
465
Summary of the evaluation
This one session during the programme indicates some
of the potential of music therapy for this client group.
With the present format however the residents are just
beginning to become familiar with the instruments and
the setting when it is time to break. We often have some
of the profoundest experiences towards the end of the
session, as in many therapeutic situations. In order to
explore more work relating to individual needs, for
example opportunities for playing individual 'life
journeys' on the instruments, more time is needed for
the developing trust to be carried forward.
There was a very positive reaction to the timing of the
music therapy group. The group know each other
sufficiently well for a sense of group trust and to have
been built up. The music therapy session helps to