Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Copyright Status, No Creative Commons License

All Rights Reserved

Degree Name

Master of Science in Music Therapy

Department

Music Therapy

School

School of Arts & Sciences

First Advisor

Brigette Schneible

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore my experiences in vocal psychotherapy as a music therapy intern with Long COVID symptoms. This study employed a first-person qualitative research design by assessing two personal therapy sessions with heuristic inquiry. I analyzed my experience as a client receiving 60-minute individual vocal psychotherapy sessions. The music therapist was a trained (certified) vocal psychotherapist with at least five years of clinical practice. Data were collected from recorded session audio/video and personal journals. The recorded session audio/video were transcribed so the data could be analyzed. I asked and answered the research questions as this study employed a first-person research design focusing on my experience. During the data analysis process, five themes were identified: Outer Strength, Inner Strength, Embrace What I Have, Inhale the Good, Exhale the Bad, and Thankful to Be Alive. By participating in the vocal psychotherapy sessions and experiencing the vocal psychotherapy techniques and methods, I was able to not only begin healing from past traumas experienced during my hospitalization for COVID-19 but cope with my Long COVID symptoms and live my life more fully. Although my experience and reflection were subjective, I aimed to achieve the goal of this study, in line with the heuristic inquiry that values uniqueness. Further research may be conducted involving quantitative research using a survey-based method to address the insight into the struggles of long haulers with primary Long COVID symptoms and examining clinical outcomes during or after participating in vocal psychotherapy.

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