COLLABORATIVE PARENT COUNSELING in MUSIC THERAPY (CPCiMT) FOR PARENTS OF CHILDRN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Abstract Collaborative Parent Counseling in Music Therapy (PCiMT) for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a clinical approach, in which the music therapist conducts both the individual MT sessions for the child as well as the counseling sessions for the parents. This practice is now being tested in my PhD research. Description Early parent-child relationship, represented commonly by reciprocal musical-wise interaction (Stern, 1985), is interrupted by organic impairments, sourced at the core of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parenting a child with ASD involves great challenges and often causes stress (Dempsey et al. 2009). The role of music therapy in the treatment of children with ASD has a long history, and is an evidence-based field (Geretsegger et al. 2012; Gold, Wigram & Elefant, 2006; Holck, 2004); In recent years, this field has expanded beyond the setting of the music therapy room, and new studies describe the involvement of families in the treatment process of the child (Jondsdottir, 2009; Oldfield, 2011; Thompson, 2012), in order to meet these challenges and support both the child and the parents. This presentation describes a clinical practice of Collaborative Parent Counseling in Music Therapy (CPCiMT) for Parents of children with ASD, which is now being tested in my PhD research. In this way of work, the music therapist conducts both the treatment sessions for the child as well as the counseling sessions for the parents, aiming to bridge between insights from therapy room to the everyday life of the family. Coming from the 'health promotion' approach and the idea of 'collaboration', as defined in Randy Rolvsjord's book (2010), the CPCiMT expands the borders of conservatory setting, and sets to provide a safe place for parents to reflect on their daily challenges with their child, with the focus on collaboration between the therapist and the parents. This non-hierarchy practice sets opportunities for both the therapist and the parents for gaining a deeper understanding of the child and his family's needs, and share the knowledge on how to implement MT-like techniques in everyday interaction with the child. This presentation includes clinical examples and videos excerpts from MT sessions and counseling sessions.