Essays on Analytical Music Therapy

  • Essays on Analytical Music Therapy
  • Author: Priestley, Mary
  • ISBN: 9780962408021
  • E-ISBN: 9781891278648


This book brings together the major writings of Mary Priestley on Analytical Music Therapy a psychodynamic approach to clinical improvisation that she pioneered in England. Included in the thirty-one essays are: the famous “Herdecke Lectures” (which have never been published in English), selected chapters from Music Therapy in Action, and several other articles. Together, the essays form a journal of Mrs. Priestley’s masterful clinical work over the decades her ideas, her feelings, and her music. Individually, the essays poignantly describe the lives of her clients, and the paths they found through improvised music. Mrs. Priestley interweaves theory with case examples, speaking plainly and directly not in the jargon of an expert but in the conversational style of a wise but humble human being openly sharing her life’s work with others. (1994; Paperback, 358).


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT ONE: FUNDAMENTALS  

1. HISTORY AND DEFINTION An introduction to how analytical Music Therapy developed, its definition, and how and why it works. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983

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2. GETTING STARTED WITH THE PATIENT Discusses elements of the therapist-patient relationship, the environment, and the session that need to be considered, from the very beginning of therapy; outlines the types of biographical information to be gathered by the analytical music therapist in the initial sessions. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983)

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3. THE EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM Describes how musical improvisation can be used to make a map of the clients emotional world. (From Music Therapy in Action [1975], pagers 126-152. Reprinted by permission of MMB Music, Inc.).

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4. TECHNIQUES FOR PROBING THE CONSCIOUS Defines and gives clinical examples of techniques for: holding, splitting, investigating emotional investments, and somatic communication. (From Music Therapy in Action [1975], pages 120-128. Reprinted by permission of MMB Music, Inc.).

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5. TECHNIQUES FOR ACCESSING THE UNCONSCIOUS Defines and gives clinical examples for: guided imagery improvisations (e.g. Cave Mouth, Ascending a Mountain, Pool in the Meadow, Door in a High Wall), mythical improvisations, dream work (intracommunication, and dream resolution), and the exercise entitled Shells, Stones, Sand and Sounds. (From Music Therapy in Action [1975], pages 129-136. Reprinted by permission of MMB Music, Inc.).

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6. TECHNIQUES FOR EGO-STRENGTHENING Defines and gives clinical examples for: reality rehearsals, wholeness, exploreing relationships, affirmations and celebrations, subverbal communication, patterns of significance and programmed regression. (From Music Therapy in Action [1975], pages 137-145. Reprinted by permission of MMB Music, Inc.).

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UNIT TWO: THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP  

7. THE THERAPIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP Cites various perspectives on the nature of the therapist-patient relationship, and introduces the four levels of meeting in Analytical Music Therapy. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983)

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8. TRANSFERENCE AND COUNTERTRANSFERENCE Defines and gives clinical examples of the various types of transference and countertransference encountered in Analytical Music Therapy. (From Musiktherapische Umshau, 1985, Volume 1, pages 21-26).

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9. MORE ON EMPATHETIC COUNTERTRANSFERENCE Gives more clinical detail on how the analytical music therapist can use empathy and resonance in working with clients (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983; and Journal of British Music Therapy, 1978, Volume 7 (3), pages 2-5).

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10. SURVIVAL Describes the various stressors of working as an analytical music therapist, and recommends ways to overcome or survive them. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983)

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11. MUSIC THERAPY AND LOVE Describes the importance of love in therapy, for both patient and therapist. (From Musiktherapische Umshau, 1986, volume 7, pages 1-7, and Journal of British Music Therapy, 1985, Volume 16 (3), pages 2-7).

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UNIT THREE: THE MUSIC

 

12. THE PLACE OF STRUCTURE IN MUSICAL IMPROVISATION Examines when a patient needs structure versus freedom in the music, and the role of the therapist in providing it. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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13. THE MEANING OF MUSICExamines what is revealed by patients in their music and how this compares to verbal and other modes of communication. Grapples with the question of what a music improvisation means. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

 

14. THE MUSICAL RESPONSE Explores questions and problems that arise when teaching or learning how to respond musically to the patients improvising. Responding externally to the musical elements is relatively easier than responding in an inner way to the unconscious feelings that a patient is expressing through those elements. (From Musiktherapische Umshau, 1980, Volume 1, pages 21-36; reprinted in Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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UNIT FOUR: THEORETICAL CONCEPTS

 

15. SOME BASIC CONCEPTS OF FREUD AND KLEIN Provides clinical and musical examples of basic theoretical constructs of Freud and Klein. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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16. DEFENCE MECHANISMS AND SOME EXAMPLES Defines and illustrates thirty defenses encountered in Analytical Music Therapy and other psychoanalytically informed therapies. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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17. MUSIC, FREUD AND THE PORT OF ENTRY Identifies levels of resistance which are expressed musically and verbally in Analytical Music Therapy. (From Nursing Times, 1976, Volume 72, 1940-1941).

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UNIT FIVE: THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS  

18. TIMES OF STRESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MATURATION Examines the various stressors that a patient may experience during therapy, and how the analytical music therapist can deal with them beneficially. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983.)

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19. ANALYTICAL MUSIC THERAPY AND THE DETOUR THROUGH PHANTASY A case study illustrating how a patient created and musically improvised his own personal myth over several sessions, and how taking this detour through the phantasy world helped him in reality. (From British Journal of Projective Psychology, 1980, Volume 25, pages 11-14; and later included in Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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20. THE INNER CHILD Clinical examples of how Analytical Music Therapy can heal the wounded inner child by unfreezing traumatized feelings. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983)

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21. AFFIRMATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS Clinical examples of when a patient needs to celebrate and affirm life, and the issues that arise when doing so; describes how envy impedes personal growth. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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22. CASE STUDY OF A DEPRESSED PATIENT An account of how Analytical Music Therapy helped a thirty-four year old female patient to make a new beginning in her struggle against depression.

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23. CASE STUDY:MUSIC AND THE SHADOWThree case studies illustrate how many different facets of the shadow are explored in Analytical Music Therapy, and how allowing the shadow to emerge can be healing. (From Music Therapy: Journal of the American Association for Music Therapy, 1987, Volume 6, pages 20-27. Reprinted by permission of the American Association for Music Therapy).

 

24. CASE STUDY: MUSIC AND THE LISTENERSRecounts fourteen sessions of Analytical Music Therapy with a 60-year old psychotherapist who had panic attacks whenever someone would listen to her play the piano. (From Journal of British Music Therapy, 1988, pages 9-13. Reprinted by permission of the British Society for Music Therapy and the Association of Professional Music Therapists).

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UNIT SIX: VARIATIONS  

25. ANALYTICAL MUSIC THERAPY WITH RECIDIVISTSClinical descriptions of group Analytical Music Therapy with male recidivists. (From Journal of British Music Therapy, 1977, Volume 8, pages 10-14; then reprinted in Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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26. PRELIMINARY MUSIC Describes how Analytical Music Therapy techniques can be used with normal children to foster creative growth, prevent developmental crises, and to ease difficult life transitions. Two case studies are provided. (From Music and the Cycle of Life. A paper presented at the annual conference of the British Society for Music Therapy, November 12, 1988).

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27. ANALYTICAL MUSIC THERAPYWITH CHILDREN Notes on Analytical Music Therapy sessions with several normal children. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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28. CASE STUDY: COUPLE THERAPY Describes 15 months of Analytical Music Therapy with a married couple in their 60s.

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29. INTERTHERAPY Describes the method for training an analytical music therapist: two trainees take turns with each other in the role of therapist and patient while being observed and supervised by an analytical music therapist. (Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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UNIT SEVEN: CADENCE  

30. ENDING THE SESSION OR TREATMENT Describes clinical issues that arise at the end of sessions an/or the treatment itself and possible ways for dealing with them. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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31. POSTLUDE: THE INEFFABLE A final look at what gives music its special significance and power within the therapeutic process. (From Analytische Musiktherapie, 1983).

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REFERENCES

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