Cross-cultural music therapy: Reflections of American music therapists working internationally

Abstract

Research on cross-cultural music therapy is limited, yet with increased globalization, it is becoming more common for music therapists as well as other mental health professionals to work anywhere in the world and with diverse populations. By studying the lived experience of music therapists from the United States working internationally, mental health professionals interested in working abroad may be able to better prepare for an international career. This phenomenological research asked how culture informs clinical practice, what strategies are helpful in working cross-culturally, and what are the benefits and challenges of working outside of the clinician’s culture.Interviews were conducted with three American music therapists working cross-culturally in Finland, New Zealand, and Singapore. Through a process of distillation results indicated three global meaning units including: a) In order for music therapy to be effective, the therapist must understand the impact of their individual culture and their client’s culture on the therapeutic relationship; b) The culturally competent music therapist needs to be able to listen empathically, communicate effectively, and truly understand the client; and c) No matter how challenging working internationally may be at times, the therapist will grow, change, and “no matter what, it’ll be worth it.” Limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.