A critical interpretive synthesis of music therapy case studies: Examining therapeutic boundary themes in the context of contemporary practice

Abstract

This article presents the results from a critical interpretive synthesis that examined the prevalence and presentation of therapeutic boundary themes in music therapy case studies. Conventional boundary theories are often defined as the parameters of practice that encourage the clinician to perform boundary processes in a certain way. These theories pertain to practical and interpersonal elements when negotiating the therapeutic relationship and include features such as boundary crossings and boundary violations. A carefully selected set of case studies were examined and interrogated to determine the presence and type of boundary themes. These were analysed by distilling narrative descriptions from the case studies and comparing them with information about population, age of clients, theoretical approach and cultural setting. Musical intimacy emerged from the analysis as a concept that contained a myriad of boundary challenges, which often appeared to contrast conventional ideas on boundaries. The results of this critical interpretive synthesis are discussed along with recommendations for music therapy practice.