This book introduces Group Analytic Music Therapy (GAMT), different levels of the group, and the different characteristics of musical images. It illustrates that music is the “royal road to the unconscious”— just like dreams. Images created during group analytic music therapy have similar clinical value to dreams. These images, just like dreams, communicate through feelings and body sensations. Their language is metaphorical, emotional and insightful. They speak from and to our hearts. In GAMT, the role of the music therapist is to find ways of making the best therapeutic use of client’s feelings, thoughts, bodily sensations, dreams, and images created through music. Images created during improvisation or therapeutic music listening can be seen as part of unconscious intersubjective and interpersonal processes within the group. In GAMT, when someone shares their musical image, other clients are encouraged to provide their own associations too. These images are their own, but at the same time part of the groups collective unconsciousness.

The book is divided into three parts: Part One sets the philosophical foundation of GAMT. The purpose is to provide a group psychotherapeutic context that will be explored in more detail in Parts Two and Three. Part Two presents the theory and method of GAMT and different characteristics of musical images. It discusses how dreams and images created during group analytic music therapy can be a unique source of clinical data. Part Three illustrates theory through a clinical case study of Mary, an “invisible” woman who turned visible and found her voice during GAMT.

The book includes both theoretical and clinical sections and several case study examples and in-depth analyses. Away from being a first of its kind in music therapy field, this book expands group music therapy theories and proposes a new way of defining clinical group music therapy practice. (ISBN 13: 978-1-891278-50-1, $46)