Music Therapy Students’ Experiences of Interactions with Young Clients During Fieldwork Placements

Abstract

In this phenomenological research study, I investigated the experiences of music therapy students’ musical interactions with young clients during fieldwork placements.  Six Masters level students provided written narratives describing their interactions and then engaged in semi-structured follow-up interviews.  Four main themes emerged during qualitative data analysis: 1) Breakthrough Interactions, 2) Balancing students’ needs with clients’ needs, 3) Role, identity and reflections of self, and 4) Supervisor issues.  These themes are discussed in detail and include excerpts from the interviews.  Reflections based on my reflexive journal are presented.  Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.