Mindfulness and the Music Therapist: An Approach to Self-Care

Although self-care is important for helping professionals, there is limited practical information on how music therapists might address this issue. The purpose of this heuristic self-inquiry was to examine insights that emerged when a newly-certified music therapist, also enrolled in a Master’s music therapy training program, engaged in reflective and experiential self-inquiries during a mindfulness meditation training. Results revealed three overarching categories: exploring mindfulness meditation, identifying stressors in personal and professional life, and positive experiences through mindfulness meditation. Each category contained subcategories explicated through insights, personal journal quotes, and music improvisation excerpts that emerged during the self-inquiries. A creative synthesis, representing the researcher’s transformation throughout the research process, is presented in the form of an original mindfulness meditation song. The researcher believes that the insights gained throughout the research process have not only been beneficial in terms of his own self-care, but will also have ongoing positive impacts on his music therapy practice. He also hopes that this research will have relevance for music therapy students and professionals who are looking for optimal ways to address their own self-care needs. Implications for music therapy research, practice, and training are discussed