Levels of Therapy: The Classification of Music Therapy Goals

Abstract

Provides empirical support for the suggestion that music therapy procedures can be categorized into 3 levels: music therapy as activity therapy, insight music therapy with reeducative goals, and insight music therapy with reconstructive goals. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) that goals for each of the 3 levels would be consistently used in conjunction with other goals from that level, and (2) that client diagnosis could be used to predict the level of therapy. Goals were designated for each level of therapy and respondents were asked to rate the importance of each in their work, and to answer other questions about themselves and their clients. Survey responses received from 148 music therapists who were working with adult psychiatric clients supported both hypotheses. (PsycLIT Database Copyright 1990 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)