“Meeting” a six-year old child with a hearing impairment through music therapy

Abstract

This qualitative study described how “meeting” took place in music therapy with a sixyear old girl with a hearing impairment. Meeting is understood as the client’s experiences of being heard, understood and accepted by the therapist who matches and echoes the quality of the client’s music thereby facilitating the development of a therapeutic relationship characterised by mutuality. Video excerpts from music therapy sessions were analyzed through content analysis. Analysis of the data revealed that moments of meeting, as well as moments in which the therapist and client “missed” one another occurred during musical improvisations in the session. During moments of meeting the therapist attuned to the client, musically and personally, expressed acknowledgment and acceptance, read the client’s social cues, addressed the client’s music child, and communicated with the client through the music. The client attuned to the therapist, musically and personally and communicated with her through the music. During moments of “missing” one another” the therapist was not attuned to the client, did not respond to the client and seemed to display a lack of awareness musically and personally. In these instances the client was also not attuned to or aware of the therapist and did not respond to her through the music.