Music, Healing & Psychosocial Oncology: Music Therapy at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre SarahRose Black, MA, MMT, MTA, RP Music Therapist, University Health Network and Kensington Health Wednesday July 20 th , 2016
Music, Healing & Psychosocial Oncology:
Music Therapy at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
SarahRose Black, MA, MMT, MTA, RPMusic Therapist, University Health Network and Kensington Health
Wednesday July 20th, 2016
Overview and Learning Objectives
The role of music therapy in: Palliative care Inpatient oncology
Four facets
How music therapy can affect a patient’s experience
Information on how to become a music therapist
What is Music Therapy? The Canadian Association for Music Therapy defines music therapy as:
“The skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development.” Canadian Association for Music Therapy / Association de Musicothérapie du Canada Annual General Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, May 6, 1994
To summarize:Music Therapy is the use of music in a
therapeutic relationship to achieve clinical goals
What is Music Therapy in palliative care?Music therapy in cancer care is the creative
and professionally informed use of music in a therapeutic relationship with people identified as needing physical, psychosocial, or spiritual help, or with people aspiring to experience further self-awareness, enabling increased life satisfaction and quality. (O’Callaghan, 2004)
Clinical Goals of Palliative MT
Music therapy can support CURRENT goals
Music therapy can create NEW goals
Examples of MT Clinical Goals: Evidence – Based WorkPain/symptom management (Magill, 1993, O’Callaghan, 2012)
Anxiety relief (Hilliard, 2001; O‟Callaghan, 2001)
Creating legacies for family and friends (Clements-Cortes, 2009)
Relaxation (Hilliard, 2003)
Support for families (Hogan, 1999) Support (physical- breathing, emotional-
comforting) at end of life (Salmon, 2003)
Providing a positive distraction from treatment/symptoms
Providing a non-verbal space for communication
The Four FacetsClinical Improvisation
Client and therapist improvise together
Inter-Active ListeningTherapist plays and client listens
to musicSong-writing
Client and therapist write music together
Active PlayingClient and therapist play music
(often pre-composed) together
Clinical ImprovisationDefined as: the spontaneous creation of
music between therapist and client using instruments and/or voice (Lee, 2003)
Inter-Active ListeningDefined as: A music therapy methodology
that involves the therapist playing, singing, or providing music in some form while the client listens; therapist and client may interact non-verbally or verbally; further interventions may be based on potential client response. (Black, 2013)
Song-writingDefined as: the creation of a song (either
with or without lyrics) by therapist and client that may reflect the client’s experiences. Song-writing is often done as legacy work for a client’s family.
Active PlayingDefined as: client and therapist playing
(generally pre-composed music) either together or separately
Inpatient CarePain and symptom managementAnxiety relief and emotional support Psychosocial support through verbal and non-
verbal creative self-expressionFamilial support Reflection, reminiscenceProcessing of current experience Legacy work
Music Therapy CollaborationsJoint sessionsCollaborations in Care/Joint Sessions
Occupational therapy Psychiatry Nursing Pharmacy Spiritual Care
Staff wellness Physicians and nurses Pharmacists Spiritual Care Concerts
Jason’s SaxophoneCreating meaning in
the momentEmbracing a
defining part of his life
“I want to go out with a squawk”
Reflecting In what setting might this be most
appropriate? What do you think clinical goals of this
intervention might be?What did you notice in your own body?
Thoughts? Images? Sensations? How do you think this intervention could
promote health and healing?
How to become a music therapist
Undergraduate or graduate music therapy degrees
Internship MTA Status (Music Therapist Accredited) College of Registered Psychotherapists
Working in the Field Music therapists work in all kinds of settings:
Hospitals Rehabilitation centresSchoolsCorrectional facilities Academic settingsHome settingsPrivate practiceThe possibilities are endless…
Informal Use of Music at BedsideCDsRecorded musiciPods/MP3
playersPlaylists/ “Mix
Tapes”YouTubeLyric discussionsPatient
preferenceChoice is crucial
Summarizing: Creating meaningful moments through a
musical relationship incorporating clinical goals
Creating legacies Providing emotional outlets Engaging staff Supporting grief
Selected Bibliography Bailey, L. M. (1984). The use of songs in music therapy with cancer patients and their families. Music Therapy, 4(1), 5-17. Canadian Association for Music Therapy (2004). Definition of Music Therapy. Retrieved from
http://www.musictherapy.ca/en/information/music-therapy.html. Clements-Cortes, A. (2004). The use of music in facilitating emotional expression in the terminally ill. American Journal of
Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 21(4), 255–260. Clements-Cortes, A. (2009). Episodes of relationship completion through song-writing in palliative care. (Doctoral
Dissertation, University of Toronto, 2009).Retrieved from https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/17744. Curtis, S. (1986). The effect of music on pain relief and relaxation of the terminally ill. Journal of Music Therapy, 24(1), 10-
24. Dileo, C., &Dneaster, D. (2005). Introduction: State of the art. In C. Dileo& J. V. Loewy (Eds.), Music therapy at the end of
life (pp. xix-xxvii). Cherry Hill, NJ: Jeffrey Books. Brandt, J., & Dileo, C. (2008).Music therapy for symptom relief and support in end-of-life care. [Protocol] Cochrane Pain,
Palliative Care and Support Group. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2. Hilliard, R.E. (2001). The use of music therapy in meeting the multidimensional needs of hospice patients and families.
Journal of Palliative Care, 17, 161-166. Hilliard, R.E. (2005). Music therapy in hospice and palliative care: A review of the empirical data. Evidence Based
Complementary Alternative Medicine, 2(2), 173-178. Hogan, B. (1999). The experience of music therapy for terminally ill patients: A phenomenological research project. In R. R.
Pratt and D. E. Grocke (Eds.),Music Medicine 3: Music Medicine and Music Therapy (pp. 242-54). Australia Expanding Horizons, Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne.
Lee, C.A. (2003). The architecture of aesthetic music therapy. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers. O’Callaghan, C. (2001). Bringing music to life: A study of music therapy and palliative care experiences in a cancer hospital.
Journal of Palliative Care, 17, 155-160. O’Callaghan, C. & Barry, P. (2009). Music therapists‟ practice-based research in cancer and palliative care: Creative
methods and situated findings. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 9(3). Salmon, D. (2001).Music therapy as psychospiritual process in palliative care. Journal of Palliative Care, 17(3), 142-146.