Orange Bicycles—A Case Story

Adapting the “Arts for the Blues” Group Intervention for Use in Staff Wellbeing Music Therapy Sessions

Authors

  • Marcus Bull Student Music Therapist, University of South Wales, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v25i2.4364

Keywords:

staff wellbeing, depression, anxiety, burnout, Arts for the Blues

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff wellbeing has been an important issue in healthcare settings. However, reports of the contributions of music therapy to this context are rare. During my MA Music Therapy training, I was able to offer music therapy in an NHS Trust’s staff support service for healthcare workers who were burnt-out, depressed or anxious. In this paper I present a case story, focussing on one individual, “Violet,” and identify some of the significant moments in her therapy. From this story, it seems that music therapy can be a powerful way to support the wellbeing of staff, and this may be a rich new vein of work for music therapists to explore. While the Arts for the Blues was initially developed for psychoanalytic group work, this story shows how it has been successfully adapted for use in these one-to-one, active, improvisatory music therapy sessions. Indeed, the model allowed for the limited number of sessions offered in an NHS context to be fully used, and its ingredients contributed to significant moments of therapeutic change.

Author Biography

Marcus Bull, Student Music Therapist, University of South Wales, United Kingdom

Marcus Bull has extensive experience working in education, charities, and community groups. In schools, he has worked as a teacher of primary and secondary students as well as taking on whole school pastoral roles. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, he managed a local charity team supporting adults with learning disabilities. He also has significant experience of community music groups. Marcus has trained as a music therapist on the University of South Wales’ resource-oriented, anti-oppressive and interpersonal MA course. His approach is integrative and improvisatory. He has worked with young adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities, patients on a stroke rehabilitation ward, and cancer patients. Most recently he has been supporting young people in a children’s hospital who are experiencing mental health concerns due to their medical conditions. The paper is based on his experience from a placement in a large NHS Trust where he offered staff wellbeing interventions as well as working with patients.

Author photo, 4364 Bull

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Published

2025-07-01

How to Cite

Bull, M. (2025). Orange Bicycles—A Case Story: Adapting the “Arts for the Blues” Group Intervention for Use in Staff Wellbeing Music Therapy Sessions. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v25i2.4364

Issue

Section

Reflections on Practice