The Healing and Spiritual Properties of Music Therapy at a Cancer Care Center

Abstract

This article explores the theme of spirituality, health, and well-being, in relation to an emerging body of research on the impact of music therapy in cancer care. The focus of this article is a music therapy service established as part of a residential 5-day retreat program at a cancer care center. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of patients with cancer with one-off group music therapy at a cancer care center. Central emphasis is given to exploring a range of themes relating to the healing and spiritual properties of music therapy group work. This is a qualitative study, following a modified grounded-theory approach. Twenty-three (23) in-depth tape-recorded telephone interviews were conducted with people who had taken part in the music therapy sessions. The results focus on those findings relevant to notions of spirituality and healing, drawing on four overarching spirituality themes of transcendence, connectedness, search for meaning, and faith and hope. The authors consider the applicability of broader schemas that attempt to define and explore the role and significance of spirituality.