A Position Paper on Paid Music Therapy Internships: An Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to Initiate Dialogue

Abstract

The music therapy internship represents the culmination of students’ clinical training. Currently, most music therapy internships are unpaid while other healthcare professions offer paid internship options or do not require an internship. The purpose of this position paper was to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and initiate dialogue regarding paid music therapy internships in the United States. Designed to initiate dialogue and conversation, this article is not a research paper. I conducted an initial SWOT analysis on paid music therapy internships. I then shared the analysis with music therapy students, internship directors, clinicians, business owners, and faculty and integrated their feedback. Although the SWOT analysis indicated that the current internship model can result in strong clinicians, there are weaknesses regarding workforce diversity, accessibility, and finances. There may be numerous opportunities for the profession to strengthen itself through paid internships. The profession’s mission and values regarding increased access to music therapy for service users, greater workforce diversity, and quality of care amid escalating tuition and cost of living expenses are consequential factors that may influence paid music therapy internships. Although paid internships may be beyond the control of clinical training directors and thus may not be feasible in all contexts, the large number of unpaid internships may hinder the music therapy profession from thriving and advancing toward its mission. The profession may have an opportunity to use its own agency by valuing itself through paid music therapy internships. Questions and considerations are provided to conclude the paper.