“We Could Play Nicely Together—Instead of Just Chaos”

A Parent’s, a Child’s and a Music Therapist’s Perceptions of Music Therapy as a Tool in a Reunification Process in Child Protection

Authors

  • Rut Wallius Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Stine L. Jacobsen Aalborg University, Denmark
  • Alexandra Ullsten Centre for Clinical Research and Education, Region Värmland, Sweden and Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v25i2.4280

Keywords:

child protection, foster care, reunification intervention, families at risk, music therapy, collaborative interview

Abstract

For families where abuse or neglect has led to the child being taken into care, support can be vital for the child’s future life. This qualitative, interpretive study aimed to explore a child’s and parent’s experience of music therapy as a supportive intervention following a period of the child’s placement in foster care. The study is based on a semi-structured collaborative interview in which a family dyad, consisting of a parent and a child aged 15 years, were invited to a post-therapy interview two years after the completion of music therapy. We used reflective thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2019) to analyse the interview. The findings suggest that the parent-child dyad experienced music therapy positively and contributed to the parent-child relationship. Music therapy was experienced as a safe environment where they felt validated and at home. The dyad described the music as representing the family’s culture and as helpful in transferring knowledge from sessions to everyday life. Using music to create a safe atmosphere, express emotions, and strengthen attachments when children return home after a period in foster care can benefit child protection.

Author Biographies

Rut Wallius, Aalborg University, Denmark

Rut Wallius is a PhD student at Aalborg University, researching music therapy to support the reunification process between children in foster care and their families. She is a trained supervisor and has long clinical experience as a music therapist and family counsellor in child welfare services in Sweden.

Stine L. Jacobsen, Aalborg University, Denmark

Stine Lindahl Jacobsen is an associate professor of music therapy at Aalborg University, Denmark. Her research focuses on mechanisms of change and effects in music therapy and arts and health, with particular emphasis on how to assess through psychometric methods. She leads and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects that examine how music and art can support mental well-being, emotional regulation, communication, and therapeutic change. Jacobsen is known for her work on evidence-based practice, integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods. She has published widely in international journals and contributed to key texts in the field.

Alexandra Ullsten, Centre for Clinical Research and Education, Region Värmland, Sweden and Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden

Alexandra Ullsten, PhD, Music- and Art Therapist, holds a research and clinical position at the Central Hospital in Karlstad, Region Värmland, Sweden. She is an affiliated researcher to the School of Health Sciences at Örebro University, Sweden. Her research focuses on music therapy as procedural support in neonatal and pediatric care, and she is the principal investigator of the ongoing interdisciplinary multi-centre research project SWEpap—Parents as pain management in Swedish neonatal care. Alexandra is a member of the international research network Pain in Early Life (PEARL) and a frequently invited national and international guest lecturer.

Author photo, 4280 Wallius et al.

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Published

2025-07-01

How to Cite

Wallius, R., Jacobsen, S. L., & Ullsten, A. (2025). “We Could Play Nicely Together—Instead of Just Chaos”: A Parent’s, a Child’s and a Music Therapist’s Perceptions of Music Therapy as a Tool in a Reunification Process in Child Protection. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v25i2.4280

Issue

Section

Research