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

signs of distress/fear, family interaction patterns.
• Self-Report: Ratings of attitudes such as
satisfaction/contentment, diary of feelings, attitude
scales.
Procedure:
Use live music listening, music participation, or music
composition to offer opportunities for pleasure,
reminiscence, verbalization, closeness, etc. Use song
content for initiating discussion. (The therapist's
presence and warmth are crucial, so the use of
earphones or the patient listening to music alone are
contraindicated.)
Identify source of any patient distress by listening or by
watching patient reactions.
Help patient identify decisions that can or must be
made, all possible options, consequences of each
option, preferred option, and actions to implement
selected option.
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Serve as an advocate for the patient or family who has
made a firm decision about the course of treatment by
being supportive and giving assistance in
communicating with the medical hierarchy.
Teach effective interpersonal relationship abilities, i.e.,
positivism, avoidance of guilt for self or imposition of
guilt on others, openness in stating feelings, avoidance
of blame.
Assist terminally ill persons who wish to get closure on
some aspect of their life, such as drafting a living will,
selecting music for the funeral, recording a song to
leave to a loved one, etc.
Assist permanently disabled persons to identify and
develop assets and abilities.
Reinforce reality-based (acceptance) verbalizations
and those free of blame, bitterness, guilt, regrets, etc.
Also reinforce verbalizations about the present rather
than the past.