Attributes of Pediatric Music Therapists: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Descriptions

Abstract

Therapist attributes are known to contribute to positive therapeutic outcomes and are important to effective training and clinical practice. Although well researched in psychology and play therapy, few studies have directly explored music therapist attributes. To explore and understand these descriptions, we conducted a secondary analysis of parent interview data from a multisite trial investigating a music therapist-delivered intervention for young children with cancer and their parents. We used qualitative descriptive analysis to identify music therapists’ attributes as described by parents who participated in the intervention. Our inductive analysis of 28 interviews revealed 135 descriptors of music therapists. We discovered that these descriptions grouped naturally using essential therapist attributes of supportive, attuned, and nonjudgemental, as identified in the extant literature. This analysis highlights music therapists’ attributes perceived as central to their work with parents and young children in cancer settings.