Date of Award
5-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Selected Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Degree Name
Master of Science in Music Therapy
Department
Music Therapy
First Advisor
Dr. Adenike Webb
Abstract
Therapeutic alliance is an important aspect of helping professions however, despite research into this phenomenon in closely related fields, it has yet to be explored in music therapy. While research in related fields has explored alliance development in therapy, it has yet to question whether or not treatment length has an impact on the development or strength of therapeutic alliance. This led to the following question: Does time matter in therapeutic alliance development in music therapy? Time is an important and undeniable aspect of music. Being that time exists in music, and music is a factor unique to music therapy, it is possible that time impacts therapeutic alliance development. As therapeutic alliance has proven to have great impact on a client’s ability to meet therapeutic goals in closely related fields, it is a concept that music therapy could further explore. In an effort to further understand the importance of time in the development of therapeutic alliance within music therapy, a semi-structured interview was facilitated with three Master’s level board-certified music therapists asking the following research question: How do music therapists develop therapeutic alliances? Three music therapists working in different treatment lengths were interviewed. Three major themes were identified following a thematic analysis: 1) The Role of the Client, 2) The Role of the Therapist, and 3) The Role of Music in Fostering the Therapeutic Alliance.
Related Pillar(s)
Study
Recommended Citation
Morris, Brooke, "The Development of Therapeutic Alliance in Long-Term and Short-Term Music Therapy Treatment" (2021). Theses & Dissertations. 120.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/etd/120
