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

A MUSIC THERAPIST UNDER QUESTION - ISSUES
OF SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION:
In the course of my work with Kate I was required to
validate tne subjectivitv of my interpretation of therapy
sessions. I found myself under question giving evidence
in a court of law about my work with Kate. ln this
situation I was not in the position in which I could
contribute information that I thought relevant - I was
instead asked questions like:
" Kate made no response during that flute episode - how
do you interpret that ?"
Was she maintainig eye contact through choice or
because she was facing you in the chair? The line of
questioning was based on the mistaken assumption
that music therapy is a science and therefore my
answers were quite difficult to formulate.
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This experience emphasizes some of the major issues
that we all face at sometime in our proffessional life:
1. What theoretical issues underlie our work?
2. Is it of benefit to us as a profession to be
borrowing theories and models from other fields ?
3. Do the problems of explaining our work to others
lie in the fact that we are trying to use another model?
4. Do we as a profession really need more
objectivity or is it only required of us by pressures to
justify and to be accountable in a scientitic tradition?
SUMMARY
The challenqe of working with brain injury for the music
therapist is an enormous one - but it seems apparent
that it is an area desperately in need of development
and research. it can be seen that it is possible for a
music therapist to support the process of medication