%0 Journal Article
%T ¡®In the therapist¡¯s head and heart¡¯: An investigation into the profound impact that motherhood has on the work of a music therapist
%A Lucy Dindoyal
%J British Journal of Music Therapy
%@ 2059-9773
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/1359457518805999
%X This essay, based on a qualitative research project undertaken by the author while training at Roehampton University, explores the profound impact motherhood can have on the work of a music therapist. Motivated by the close parallels between the roles of mother and therapist as described in psychodynamic theory, the study involved three interviews with music therapist-mothers, and used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyse the data. Three superordinate themes emerged: Conflict and Growth; Drawing from Motherhood ¡®Toolkit¡¯; and Therapist Boundaries. Findings highlighted the multifaceted nature of the participants¡¯ experiences, revealing both the positive and negative impact being a mother has on the work of a music therapist and the complex ways in which these roles intertwined with each other. During the research process, a broader picture emerged, placing the participants¡¯ experiences within the context of Western culture¡¯s idealised expectations of motherhood, which appeared to exert a powerful influence. It also drew attention to the limitations inherent in the ¡®maternal metaphor¡¯ which parallels the roles of mother and therapist, questioning its gender-specificity and the impact this has on music therapist-mothers. This small study provides a starting point for discussion regarding the challenges music therapist-mothers ¨C as well as music therapists who are not mothers ¨C face in a profession in which women make up the majority of the workforce
%K music therapy
%K motherhood
%K maternal metaphor
%K gender
%K mother-infant relationship
%K psychoanalytic theory
%K children
%K therapeutic relationship
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1359457518805999