Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MCM - MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department

Expressive Therapies

Advisor

Denise Malis

Abstract

This capstone thesis project was created to answer two questions which have remained present throughout my work in early intervention. There is research that supports the positive impact that music therapy has on furthering the development of those dealing with chronic illness and medical attachments. This capstone thesis was created to examine exactly how does music therapy help those born prematurely and how effective are the interventions being conducted. Additionally, this thesis project examines how the work of music therapists in early intervention is processed by the clinicians themselves and how these intense sessions can affect them emotionally. It is focused specifically on premature infants and toddlers currently undergoing early intervention treatments for chronic lung disease and tracheostomy, as well as the development of speech and language skills within them. Using specific intervention methods throughout the project period and focusing primarily on one individual client, all sessions were tracked to follow the progress of her speech and language development through how many words or sounds were produced each week. Additionally, the clients, as well as my own, emotional responses to each session through artistic reflections. Though the goals described in this project were not met, as additional time would be necessary for completion, the progress made during the time of research for this project did signify a positive impact on the client and initiated a heavy emotional response from the intern.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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