Considering case formulation and decision-making processes in music therapy assessment and treatment planning

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Two approaches to assessment and treatment planning, case formulation and decision-making, are presented and compared in order to consider what each bring to music therapy clinical practice.

Method

Case formulation processes are compared with decision-making processes to illuminate the differences inherent to each approach. Special attention is given to differences related to data collection, use of theory, therapist expertise, client collaboration, context, and power.

Results

Clear differences in these two assessment and treatment planning processes emerge, particularly in the ways in which the client is understood, the ways in which the client’s needs are contextualized and the ways in which they might be engaged as collaborators in the therapy process.

Discussion

Considering these two different perspectives offers opportunities for music therapists to reflect on how they position themselves in relation to clients – particularly in terms of the extent to which power, desire, collaboration, and equity are realized within the therapeutic relationship. The context in which therapy takes place is also considered differently in each approach, and this has implications for the way the client’s needs are understood. When considered as a whole, this article invites further discussion about how music therapists conceptualize the personhood of clients, and how this impacts the way therapy unfolds.

KEYWORDS:

• Music therapy
• assessment
• treatment planning
• case formulation
• decision making
• education and training

Acknowledg ements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Hanne Mette Ridder for her guidance throughout the writing process, and Dr. Lillian Eyre and Dr. Tim Honig for their careful and constructive review of this manuscript prior to submission. The authors would also like to acknowledge the contributions Leah Oswanski made to the foundations of this article, in her case formulation discussions and collaboration with Tony Meadows in 2018.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ The term clients is used in this article because it is frequently referenced when discussing case formulation.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Kerry Devlin

Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC (she/her) is senior music therapist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine in Baltimore, MD. She is a doctoral student at Aalborg University and adjunct faculty at Shenandoah University, where she teaches courses centered on didactic clinical practice and teletherapy. Kerry has had the honor of collaborating with therapy participants in a range of environments, including medical, private practice, educational, and community contexts.

Anthony Meadows

Anthony Meadows, PhD, MT-BC, FAMI, LPC is Director of Music Therapy at Shenandoah University. He has more than 20 years of experience as an educator, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Anthony has more than 25 years of clinical experience, working in a range of settings that including outpatient cancer care, private practice and education.