The Music Therapy Intern Working in End-of-Life Care : A Study of Personal Experience

There is very little literature available on the personal experience of the music therapy intern, and not any specifically on the experience of the music therapy intern working in End-of-Life Care. Music therapy interns working with dying patients develop quite differently, as compared to those working with other populations. To provide music at the bedside of a dying patient is an extraordinary experience, one that seems to go beyond any level of preparedness. A survey examining the experiences of music therapy interns at the End-Of-Life Care was used to help participants share their experience about areas including: self-awareness, supervision, counseling skills, musical skills, and work with the dying. This survey was sent to both undergraduate and graduate music therapy interns training at specific clinical sites for either 6-months or 9-months. Quantitative as well as qualitative data was gathered and analyzed for common themes and relationships. With regards to End-of-Life Care, some differences between those completing a 6-month internship and those completing a 9-month internship were found. Many participants acknowledged their immense growth from the time they began their internship to completion. Furthermore, personal perspectives about death and how this affects the individual music therapist are presented. The personal experience of the music therapy intern working in End-of-Life Care is a phenomenon that is worthy of much research. Because it is one o f the most challenging and crucial times in the career of the music therapist, the music therapy internship, as a whole, needs to be studied more