Music therapy and spirituality: an international survey of music therapists’ perceptions

ABSTRACT

Despite various theoretical explorations regarding spirituality and music therapy, only a small number of empirical studies have been conducted in this area to date. This study aims to explore and provide a systematic overview of music therapists’ reported perceptions of spirituality and its relevance (or irrelevance) to their music therapy practice. A pragmatic methodological stance informs this study. Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire which was open to qualified and trainee music therapists across the world. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. A total of 358 music therapists from 29 countries took part in this study. The survey findings provide an insight into music therapists’ perceptions of spirituality including its place in their training, practice and professional life. Also, dilemmas that music therapists face, as well as their suggestions for future action regarding spirituality and music therapy, are explored. To date, this study is one of the largest international music therapy studies on spirituality. Its findings contribute to the growing evidence regarding a subject area that is considered as controversial by many professionals not only in music therapy, but also in other health-related professions.

KEYWORDS:

• Spirituality
• music therapy
• survey
• perceptions

Acknowledgments

This article draws from the pilot study of my doctoral research and I would like to thank my supervisors Prof Gary Ansdell and Prof Mercédès Pavlicevic for their support and wisdom. In addition, I would like to thank Dr Stuart Wood, Claire Flower, Dr Neta Spiro, Dr Simon Procter, Dr Tommi Himberg, Tamsin Dives and Evangelia Arachoviti for their feedback at different stages of this study.

Notes

¹ See the BAMT Directory for Members for 2009–2010 and 2010–2011.

² The rationale for collapsing the Likert scales was based on the descriptive nature of the study; the interest is focused more on the overall qualitative differences of music therapists’ reported perceptions (i.e. disagree/uncertain/agree) rather than on the smaller differences within each area of the scale (e.g. strongly agree/agree). Such smaller differences are highlighted where relevant in the presentation of the narrative data.

³ A revised version of this mailing directory has led to the publication of the International Index of Music Therapy Organisations (IIMTO) (Tsiris, 2014).

⁴ Each quote is followed by the unique number of the respective participant (P).

⁵ The responses of additional 104 respondents were eliminated due to provision of insufficient data (i.e. they did not complete the survey questionnaire beyond Part 2) and/or because they did not meet the sample selection criteria.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially funded by The Music Therapy Charity [registered charity 259077].

Notes on contributors

Giorgos Tsiris

Giorgos Tsiris is Head of Research at Nordoff Robbins Scotland and Lecturer in Music Therapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK. He is the editor-in-chief of Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy. His doctoral research (Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy / Goldsmiths, University of London) focuses on music therapy and spirituality.