Values and Principles in Music Therapy and Narrative Therapy
Today’s medical community generally has a strong emphasis on the assessment, diagnosis, and discharge process. In narrative therapy a less pathologizing view has shifted narrative therapist’s focus from, “what is wrong in people to what is strong in people.” (Duvall 2014) The problem becomes the problem not part of a person’s self-identity (White 2007, Duvall 2014, Young 2014, Carlson 1997). People’s lives are multi-storied and it is believed that the story according to the diagnostic label does not solely define the person’s being. In music therapy, the therapist often focuses on many areas of an individual including cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of the self. This allows for the music therapist to guide the individual to bring balance to all areas of life, and to assist them to shift away from problems that are owning their identity. Through this view we have the ability, whether it is through the creation of music in music therapy or storytelling in narrative therapy, to focus on what is meaningful and important to the individual in therapy. This focus allows for a non-totalizing approach of person’s identity and an exploration of one’s hopes and dreams for who they wish their preferred self to be. (Duvall 2014, Young 2014, White 2007)
Within music therapy and narrative therapy the therapist holds a non-expert position. David Epston, states that many medical and healthcare professions take a “let me teach you what to do” stance, versus a narrative therapy stance which asks the individual to teach the therapist what they know already about their life. (Duvall 2015) The individuals whom consult us becomes an expert of knowledge with their lives and the therapist serves as a mentor or guide within the therapeutic process. Assisting the individual on a journey that has a meaningful destination through the perspective of the person. (Duvall 2014, Young 2014, White 2007) As Michael White has stated, “an individual’s experience can only be processed or interpreted by the individual in relation to what the individual has already experienced.” (Hudson 2008) The therapist is there to bring their leadership and facilitation skills and to help organize the individual’s insider knowledge. (Duvall 2015) Shamanic tradition believes that all human being have the ability to heal from within. “The role of the shaman is to act as an experienced educated facilitator for a given individual’s journey toward activating this self healing ability”. (Hudson 2008) It is important within music therapy and narrative therapy that the therapist is an equal observer in the process or as Calson (1997) states a “co-creator”.
In music therapy and narrative therapy it is recognized that a therapist’s biases and judgments can come up in therapy. It is extremely important for the therapist to be aware of this and for the individual’s story to remain at the centre of the process. (Duvall 2014, Young 2014) It is also important for the therapist to understand exactly what the individual is expressing and for no assumptions to be made according to the therapist’s perspective and knowledge. As Jim Duvall states, “we need to always be committed to asking more about what is meant by the people in front of us saying those words, and committed to being perhaps more playful and creative in using a variety of words in a variety of ways.”
These factors in therapeutic posture have been introduced not as an exhaustive list but as a brief introduction of some of the key values and principles that shared between music therapy and narrative therapy.
Please stayed tuned for Part 2 of this series, “Integrating Music Therapy and Narrative Therapy To Address A Problem” posted on September 2nd, 2015
References
Carlson, T. (1997). Using Art In Narrative Therapy: Enhancing Therapeutic Possibilities. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 271-283.
Duvall, J., & Bres, L. (2011). Innovations in narrative therapy: Connecting practice, training, and research. New York: W.W. Norton.
Duvall, J. (2014). Narrative Therapy Extern Program Lecture. Presented at the Hincks-Delcrest Institute.
Hudson, M. (2008). Art Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and the Comic Format: An Investigation of the Triadic Synthesis. Research Paper in the Department of Creative Arts Therapies.
White, M. (2007). Maps of narrative practice. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Young, K. (2014-2015) Narrative Therapy Extern Program Lectures. Presented at the Hincks- Delcrest Institute.
