The stories we haven't told: the lived experience of music used in therapy for bereaved parents

Abstract

Music therapy within the parameters of the therapeutic space has been widely researched, explored, discussed and analysed within the literature. With a tool such as music however, which exists in our everyday life, it is critical for the profession to start to focus beyond the therapy room. This qualitative research project therefore aimed to explore the ways in which music therapy, specifically song parody technique, shapes bereaved parents engagement with music in their lives. In order to address this overarching aim, three questions were explored:(1) What are bereaved parents lived experiences of music therapy?(2) How do bereaved parents lived experiences of music therapy affect their ongoing relationship with music?(3) In what ways does the song parody technique shape a bereaved parents meaning of the song?Through a constructivist lens, the methodology of narrative inquiry was employed as it allowed the storied lives of the bereaved parents as well as the music to be told in a way that acknowledged the existence of multiple realities, accounted for the individual nature of grief and recognised the dual import of researcher and participant. Five past clients of the researcher consented to participate in an in-depth interview either one or two years post music therapy during which, music that was used in the therapy session was played to participants.Findings from the narratives were revealing and suggest that music used in therapy sessions can often continue to play a role in client’s lives beyond the therapy room. For all participants new and/or additional meanings were created and associated to the music used for the song parody technique. Furthermore, findings suggest that the way a client engages in the process of songwriting can impact on their longer-term meanings and associations to the music. These meanings continue to exist for a significant period of time post music therapy, irrespective of level of engagement within the therapy session. Of critical importance is the fact that although all participants acquired new meaning to music used in therapy, for some participants, this created a more painful and triggered association to the music. It is considerations such as this, which highlight the importance of this study and future studies that consider the longer-term implications of our therapeutic tool.