In this article, we explore challenges and possibilities as expressed by adolescents who participated in music therapy in an out-of-home setting. Music activities they reported participating in include listening to music, songwriting, playing in a band, and performing. The study is based on qualitative research methodology where we ask the following research question: What do adolescents in a child welfare setting consider as challenges and possibilities when reflecting on their participation in music therapy activities? To answer this question, we interviewed 11 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 23 years. The themes in the empirical sections emerged during the process of analyzing data. We propose 3 themes, each with 3 subthemes. Empirical findings are discussed in relation to relevant theories in child welfare, music therapy, and psychology, and more specifically, trauma-informed care. Practical and scientific implications are highlighted.

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The 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 9.5 million Americans aged 18 and older have been diagnosed with more than one mental disorder. Music therapists working in mental health treatment settings are likely to work with individuals who have a complex diagnosis defined here as 2 or more of the following: depression, eating disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, and severe mental illness. Additionally, adverse childhood events or posttraumatic stress disorder often complicate the clinical profile. Given this, a trauma-informed approach to music therapy treatment is necessary to improve outcomes and minimize harm. The risks, contraindications, and ethical considerations necessary to effectively treat and care for these clients in music therapy will be reviewed. Methods of identifying, assessing, and treating these complex clinical issues in music therapy are discussed with the goal of helping clinicians understand: (1) where treatment needs to begin to ensure therapeutic goals addressing primary issues prior to addressing secondary issues and (2) the appropriate use of music therapy methods. The necessity for music therapists to understand the power of the music in the music therapy process is explored, to ensure that clinicians are meeting client needs, not triggering symptomatology, traumatic memories, or experiences. The importance of a clinician knowing their scope of practice, when they are adequately trained and prepared to work with clients with complex disorders, and how to utilize support such as consultation and supervision to support their effective treatment with client(s) is presented.

Community Music Therapy (CoMT) practices are continuing to develop within the international music therapy community. However, the development and implementation of music therapy through a CoMT lens in the United States has not been widely written about. Only a handful of published studies and clinical reports detail music therapy programs that seemingly fit within a CoMT framework. In comparison to more traditional approaches to music therapy practice, CoMT practices in the United States are underrepresented. This thematic analysis informed by a hermeneutical method was undertaken to begin a dialogue with music therapists who consider their music therapy practice to fall within the boundaries of CoMT, in order to increase awareness of ways in which CoMT principles are being implemented within the US healthcare and educational systems. We interviewed 6 board certified music therapists asking them to 1) define CoMT, 2) explain role relationships (therapist, client, and community), and 3) speculate on how their approach to the work could influence health policy and access to services in the United States. Our findings suggest that participatory, performative, and social action elements of CoMT are evident in the clinical work of the music therapists who were interviewed, and that there is a place for CoMT practices within the United States healthcare system.

This short essay discusses the relationship between ownership of creative works and music therapy. We ask the following question: what do we mean by ownership of stories and songs in music therapy? We answer this question by highlighting examples from music therapy literature. We base the essay on the notion that children may have certain rights concerning their intellectual properties and products made in therapy, but these rights are not always honored. Musical products such as lyrics or narratives made in music therapy are protected by most countries' national copyright laws, and music therapists working with music should pay close attention to the rights of the creator. Music therapy should not be a free zone or grey area where the laws on copyright do not matter. The essay offers suggestions for practitioners and researchers.