Canadian Music Therapists’ Perspectives on the Current State of Music Therapy as a Profession in Canada

Although the profession of music therapy has made many advances since the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) was established in 1974, it is still a relatively new profession and as such, faces a variety of challenges. However, it is not known how these challenges are perceived by Canadian music therapists––all of whom live in diverse urban and rural regions of a geographically large country and work within different provincial/territorial healthcare and education systems. Furthermore, it is not known how these diverse experiences impact upon Canadian music therapists’ current views of the profession. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine Canadian music therapists’ perspectives on the current state of music therapy as a profession in Canada. Participants (N = 87) completed an online survey that examined their perceptions of the definition of music therapy, scope of practice, professional certification, government regulation, and professional advocacy––all in relation to the profession of music therapy in Canada. Results indicated that a majority of respondents believed that both the CAMT’s definition of music therapy and the Music Therapy Association of Ontario’s (MTAO) scope of practice statement are representative of the current profession and practice of music therapy in Canada. However, respondents’ perceptions were more varied in the other areas of the survey. Potential implications for the profession as well as areas for further research are discussed. Keywords: music therapy, Canada, profession, professionalization, surve