Diana Fox Foundations of Music Therapy

September 13, 2012 Homework Questions

The first level of music therapy is called Supportive, Activity-Oriented Music Therapy. The goals of music therapy at level one are geared toward success, structure, and promoted socialization. These goals are achieved as a direct result of participation in the activity, not on ones personal insight. The importance is on fostering new coping skills, building self-confidence, and more adaptive responses to emotions. Examination focusing on personal insight and the cause of the problem is not included in level one. The structural elements during this level can be applied using one of three levels: maximum, moderate, and minimum. Drum activities and group singing work well at this level. Clients seeking music therapy treatment at this level include people dealing with severe anxiety, chronic and/or severe mental disorders, regression, and delusions. The second level of music therapy is known as re-educative, insight, and process-oriented music therapy. In the second level, music serves as a stimulus to elicit emotions or reactions that are correlated with a desired therapeutic outcome. Greater verbal communication is also encouraged and plays a central part. Awareness is drawn to the clients existing reactions, personal feelings, and intrapersonal interactions. Certain behaviors may be confronted and new behavior and/or thought methods will be introduced during the music therapy sessions. The focus of level two therapy is to help the patient reorganize his values and behavioral patterns and to learn new ways of expressing his/her personal thoughts and feelings and be accountable for them. Clients seeking music therapy at this level often benefit from lyric analysis, and music and storytelling activities. The third level of music therapy is called the reconstructive, analytical and catharsis-oriented music therapy. This level travels into the depths of the mind. In this level music therapy is used to uncover, relive, or resolve subconscious conflicts. The objective of this treatment is to have an individual relive certain situations that caused them to repress memories and emotions and to work through the unresolved dispute or traumatic experience. The selection of music is vital to provoking the suppressed information and requires a music therapist with extraordinary developed training and experience. Clients seeking music therapy at this level will receive treatment that includes The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music and Analytical Music Therapy.