Reviewed by
Kathleen M. Murphey, MMT, FAMI, LPC, MT-BC
(Temple University)

Music Therapy Perspectives (2004), 22 (1), 60-62

Reprinted with permission of the MTP

Music therapy supervision is a collection of papers on music therapy supervision edited by Michele Forinash. The impetus for this book came from discussions Forinash had with her colleague Lisa summer about supervision and teaching. During those discussions, they identified several “supervisory dilemmas.” These dilemmas, which are identified in Chapter 1, seem relevant for all music therapy supervisors making this book very timely. The remaining chapters are organized into four broad areas of supervision: Part 1: Literature, Ethics, and Multicultural Approaches; Part II: Preprofessional Supervision; part III: Professional supervision; and Part IV: Institute Supervision.
.....Part One: Literature, Ethics and Multicultural Approaches, begins with a thorough review of the music therapy literature on preprofessional and professional supervision (McClain). This is followed by a discussion of ethical issues (Dileo) and multiculturalism (Estrella). When taken together, Part One provides the reader with a succinct description of current supervisory practices, guidelines for ethical decision-making and an overview of multicultural issues that should be addressed in supervision. The chapters in Part One also underscore the need for further research into methods of supervision.
.....While the literature on music therapy supervision is scant, there is even less written about ethical issues and multicultural issues in music therapy supervision. Forinash has done a great service to music therapy supervisors by including chapters on these topics. The supervisory issues identified by Dileo and Estrella are relevant for all levels of music therapy supervision. For the first time, music therapy supervisors can look to writings within the field, rather than turning to related disciplines for guidance and direction with regards to ethics and multiculturalism.
.....The seven chapters in Part Two present various approaches to preprofessional supervision including: group supervision for first time music therapy practicum (Summer); the use of systems analysis in group supervision of practicum students (Hanser); competency-based models of intern supervision (Farnan); student-centered orientations (Thomas); and creative arts group supervision (Shulman-Fagan). Additionally, the developmental stages of internship are described in three different chapters by Feiner, Farnan, and Thomas. Part Two concludes with a rationale and methodology for developing the student’s supervisory personality (Stige).
.....The interplay between didactic and experiential methods of supervision is also illustrated (Summer, Thomas, Shulman-Fagan, Stige). It is exciting to see the use of role play, improvisation, imagery and other creative arts in the supervisory process. These authors clearly describe each technique, and provide a rationale for its use. Additionally, many use case material to help the reader understand the impact that each technique has on student learning.
.....All the authors in Part II have a different philosophical/theoretical orientation in regards to supervision. Yet despite this difference, three universal themes can be identified: 1) the role of the competencies in designing fieldwork and internship experiences; 2) the developmental process that students go through as they move from trainee to new professional; and 3) the changing nature of the supervisory relationship over time. Additionally, it is readily apparent that the supervisee’s overall learning needs guide each supervisory intervention, regardless of philosophical/theoretical orientation.
.....Professional supervision, that is supervision received after completion of internship and credentialing, has received very little attention in the literature. Part Three: Professional Supervision begins to fill that void. Several approaches are presented for supervising both beginning and experienced clinicians such as peer supervision (Baratta, Bertolami, Hubbard, MacDonald, & Spragg; Austin & Dvorkin), individual supervision (Amir, Lee & Khare, Jahn-Langenberg), group supervision (Langdon, Frohne-Hagemann), and an apprentice-supervisory model (Bruscia). The authors provide very thorough descriptions of their models, including a discussion of their techniques, theoretical/philosophical orientation and the kinds of issues addressed in their model.
.....The impression that one may get after reading these chapters in that improvisation is the primary technique used in professional music therapy supervision. Certainly this is not the case. For many of the contributors to this part of the book, improvisation does play a central role in their approach to supervision (Langdon; Austin & Dvorkin, Frohne-Hagemann; Jahn-Langenberg). For these authors, the primary use of improvisation as a supervisory technique is congruent with their use of improvisation as the primary music therapy method in their clinical work. Hopefully this will motivate music therapy supervisors to develop approaches that are more closely related to clinical practice.
.....Another impression that one may get from the chapters in Part III is that only those professional music therapists who use improvisation seek supervision. This is also not the case. In part, this may be more related to cultural practices that to a particular music therapy method. Typically, advanced supervision is not frequently sought out by music therapists in the United States unless it is an institute, certification, or licensing requirement. It is much more common in other countries, where, coincidently, the primary use of improvisation in clinical work is also more widespread. However, it is important to recognize that the issues improvisational music therapists bring to supervision are not unique to them. Concepts such as transference, countertransference, and resistance are inherent in all therapeutic relationships regardless of clinical methods and techniques. Hopefully readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the value of music therapy supervision beyond internship, and with this, begin to take advantage of the unique education opportunity it affords.
.....Finally, the three chapters in Part Four explore the role of supervision in Analytical Music Therapy (Scheiby); The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) (Ventre) and Nordoff-Robbins (Turry). In each of these music therapy models, education, clinical work and supervision are integrated into the overall training program. In this part, the chapters all have a similar structure: a brief overview of the model’s salient characteristics is followed by a detailed discussion of the supervisory process. When taken together, each author demonstrates how theory, practice, instruction and supervision can be incorporated in to an overall educational program. This can serve as a framework for music therapy educators and supervisors who want to work together to develop an integrated education and training program for their students. This is especially relevant in light of the new clinical training guidelines that allow for university affiliated internships and call for closer communication between educators and internship supervisors.
.....This is the only part of the book in which all of the authors are currently working in America. While this in no way detracts from the content and value of each chapter, the supervisory picture that is painted is not as broad as in the other parts of the book. It would be interesting to learn if supervisory practices within institute training programs in other countries would be conducted in a similar manner to that of the United States.
.....Music therapy supervision has much to offer the profession of music therapy. As the first book to be published on supervision in music therapy, it makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature on music therapy education and training. Throughout the book various philosophies of music therapy supervision are clearly articulated. As Forinash suggests, many of these philosophies are contradictory (p. 3). This makes the book’s contribution even more valuable as it opens up the way for dialogue and debate in the field. It attests to the fact that music therapy supervision, like music therapy education, is not one size fits all.
.....This book moves music therapy supervision from a time-limited event that occurs during fieldwork and internship to an education process that spans a music therapist’s career. Careful reading of each chapter leaves the reader with the sense that supervision is more than just a conversation about what happened in a given music therapy session. Rather, supervision is a mindful process that involves carefully conceived interventions to address both the developmental levels and learning needs of the supervisee.
.....Music therapy supervision is intended to be a resource for supervision ideas, rather than a book of recipes that must be followed. To that end, Forinash invited the authors from around the world to explain their approach to supervision. Music therapists can draw from the expertise of the authors in designing and developing their own skills as a supervisor. The broad array of supervision strategies, approaches and models can be used in the development of practicum, internship, and professional supervision programs for their students and colleagues.
.....The diversity of supervisory approaches presented in this book gives evidence of the growth and development of music therapy supervision and clinical practice, and attests to the creativity of each contributing author. This also underscores the need for flexibility in supervision. While theoretical/philosophical beliefs may have influenced each author’s approach, ultimately it was the learning needs of the supervisees that led to the development of supervisory strategies and techniques presented in each chapter. Additionally, these models should serve as stepping stones, not only for supervision strategies and ideas, but also for further study, development and research.
.....Music therapy educators will also find this to be a valuable resource for providing practicum and academic internship supervision for their students. Several of the authors are both educators and supervisors. As such, they are able to lend their expertise from both perspectives. Additionally, the various models presented will help educators provide supervision that is consistent with their educational philosophy while meeting student’s learning needs. Educators can also challenge themselves by trying out new approaches to supervision based on the models that have been presented. Additionally, this book can be used as a text for those teaching music therapy supervision at the graduate level or in continuing education courses.

Music Therapy Supervision
Forinash, Michelle (Ed.)(2001). Music Therapy Supervision. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers

. Reviewed by
Nechama Yehuda, Ph.D. RMT, Lecturer and Supervisor in Music Therapy Training Courses, Bar Ilan University and Levinsky College, Israel

My interest in this book began in 2001 when I first learned about its existence. Although supervision lies at the heart of our clinical work, and although it is and should be part of our ethical code, I could not help but feel that this topic was seriously neglected. And then this volume appeared; the first book to focus on the art and science of supervision. More importantly, raising questions about supervision is a sign of the maturation of our profession.

The editor is a prominent music therapist who has made significant contributions to the theory and practice of music therapy. Her broad experience in clinical practice, research, teaching and supervision qualifies her to undertake this task. I enjoyed reading this book, but more importantly it provoked me to expand my knowledge and helped me to better integrate and understand my own experiences as a supervisee (both by music therapists and psychologists), my intuitions in supervising students, my dilemmas, questions and doubts. I certainly share the author's observation that "I frequently felt at a loss as a supervisor and often struggled to find the "best" way to supervise any given student" (pp. 1).

Forinash introduces us gradually into the subject matter and to her personal development as a supervisor, while paying due respect to the founders of our discipline. In doing so, she also presents her credo about supervision:

• Supervision is relationship.
• It is a process of unfolding nature, not a recipe.
• Supervisors are not omnipotent beings.
• Supervisees are not blank slates upon which "the experts" download their unequivocal truth.
• There are many diverse ways to supervise, and the supervisee (just like the supervisor in this book) might be introduced to contradictory approaches, ideas and techniques.
• The supervisor who reads this book is invited by the writer to adopt supervision strategies with which he\she resonates and be authentic with his/her own philosophies and personal experiences as a music therapist.

The literature puts an emphasis on parallel process between the therapist and client and between the supervisor and supervisee. Forinashs' book seems to add another parallel process, between supervisors and their instructors. Since it is unrealistic to provide a detailed review of these twenty two chapters that comprise this book, only selected highlights will be examined.

The first part contains three chapters, and deals with literature, ethics and multicultural approaches. Chapter one, (McClain) notes that the phenomenal growth of music therapy necessitates more advanced clinical training, and the author very briefly surveys the main subjects that are at the heart of supervision. For instance: the different internship models that exist in the U.S.A.; professional supervision models that exist in the western world; voices of clinicians who advocate international internships and of those who feel that we need more multicultural training; skills that are expected in professional supervision, etc. In the chapter's extensive survey of the literature it was surprising to learn that only one article (viz. Brown, 1997) was taken from the British Journal of Music Therapy. Considering that music therapy is quite popular in the U.K. the issue of supervision did not attract much attention in this prestigious journal.

Dileo's article - Ethical Issues in Supervision - emphasizes that "ethics is fundamental to the supervisory process itself, and is also an important content area that must be conveyed during supervision" (pp. 19). Nevertheless this important subject has been neglected in our research, thus, most of the studies that are introduced in this article originate in psychology. From the long list of references only one article – that of Maranto, 1987 – was published in a source that deals with issues that are specific to Music Therapy; a clear indication of the necessity to investigate ethical issues as they are realized in music therapy. Dileo lists a comprehensive list of ethical issues in supervision, but to this reader it appeared that major ethical issues which are specific to music therapy are missing, for example: different musical cultures or tolerance to the "other's" music, musical transference and counter transference that the supervisee might experience etc. Although the next chapter deals specifically with multiculturalism, it would seem proper to regard multiculturalism itself as an ethical issue, and it is necessary to ask these questions and to understand their ethical implications for relationships that develop in the context of music.

Dileo also raises the importance of instituting appropriate training for supervisors that should be acknowledged by certification. Bruscia's article (chapter 19) and Scheiby are the only two in this book who discuss an apprenticeship-training program in supervision developed by the author at Temple University. The subject has been discussed in Israel, but aside from focused sessions on "supervision for supervisors" that are offered by the training programs for the benefit of therapists who train students, there are no formal programs targeted to supervisors .

Estrella reviews the literature on Multicultural approaches. Sadly, one cannot help to be impressed by the paucity of available material on questions such as the awareness of music therapists to other musical styles, different meanings that cultures attribute to their music, the culture's influence on the formation of identity, and the specific influence of music on identity formation (Ruud, 1998).

The remaining three parts of the book provide a wealth of information on different models of supervision as practiced internationally. It is an amazing experience to encounter models that span Pre-professional Supervision (chapters5-11), Professional Supervision (chapters 12-19) and Institute Supervision (chapters 20-22), and to realize how diverse, personal, emotionally charged, and complicated supervision really is.

Summer (chap. 5) discusses issues of the First-Time Music Therapy Practicum. With accomplished and pedagogic style she describes the objectives of training the young students and the obstacles to be anticipated. The vignettes she provides and the role-playing she describes illustrate very clearly how observant the supervisor must be, and how careful it is not to impose his/her personality on the supervisee and rather allow the student to find his/her own way. This is an excellent chapter; it is clearly written and without doubt is must reading for first-time supervisors. In contrast, Hanser's chapter offers a system analysis approach to music therapy praxis, it seems out of step with the other contributions to this volume.

Feiner (chapter 7) examines the different dynamics that contribute to the intensity of the supervisor-intern relationship. The supervisor is once an omnipotent figure with all the answers, an administrator, and a source of support. Feiner briefly visits the teach\treat controversy with examples of how counter-transference issues interfere with understanding the client. While essentially turning to the literature in psychology, she also deals with counter-transference reactions that are specific to music therapy, such as: "a particular mood of music is absent from an intern's vocabulary, and cannot be accessed when a client needs it"( pp.107). She also illustrates how to use music in exploring unresolved issues. The value of this message could have been substantially enhanced if the editor would have provided index accessible references to others who utilize this approach.

Thomas' article (chap. 9) will likely be useful for therapists who are responsible for music therapy students during their internship. He mentions some obvious points, of which one deserves constant reminding: "...discuss and familiarize interns with their new environment, as it is so often very foreign territory" (pp. 136). He reminds the reader of some interesting points that relate to the first steps in music therapy.

Stige's article (chap. 11) is best described as challenging and stimulating: The idea of incorporating narrative perspective in supervision has potential: having a safe place for stories to unfold, and restructuring the supervisor's experience with one who takes the role of a "not-knowing listener" (pp. 166) and who becomes a co-author with a potential for discovering strength in a nurturing environment.

Part three introduces us to different supervision styles that are optimal for the beginning professional. Barrata et al (chapter 12) suggest peer supervision as a means of coping with the "ending anxiety" that students feel at the transition period when they change from student to professional. This is a simple and powerful idea, and the emphasis that the authors place on the arts, as an integral part of the peer supervision, is even more exciting and intriguing. (I understand the writers who donated their ideas are a group of young professionals, and it would have been useful to have included a short biography of each the writers.) This chapter is informative and comprehensive. Amir (chapter 13) focuses on individual supervision for the new therapist who works within the educational system. It is interesting, well written, and by focusing on the different issues that the supervisor should address, she gives us an idea about the complexity of the task. In the summary of this chapter Amir writes:

"There are supervisees who I love and adore. There are supervisees whose intellect I appreciate...There are supervisees who touch me...There are supervisees with whom I find it very easy to bring more of my personal and intimate self, while with others I am more official and didactic... There are supervisees who press my buttons and usually succeed in making me angry, tense, frustrated, and helpless and others with whom I feel at ease and at home...There are times when I stay very focused completely in the here and now, and there are other times when I find myself drifting away...Supervision is a journey of two...it creates itself in the here an now..." (pp.209-210).
This is a genuine description of the process the supervisor is going through in the course of working with the client. It is a priceless capture of what it means to say that supervision is relationship. In chapter 14, Langdon describes an experiential music therapy supervision group that moves back and forth between words and music and particularly nurtures what can be called the "musical mind". She depicts in a clear and systematic way four modes of intervention that move between words and music. Chapter 15 (Austin & Dvorkin) is another description of peer supervision that was founded by a group of music therapists in 1991 and who desired to integrate concepts of music therapy with psychotherapy. It was a music-centered supervision at a time when music was not the language spoken in supervision. Frohne-Hagemann and Perls illustrate in a clear and constructive style the way that integrative techniques are used in professional group supervision. In the vignette they present, they describe stage by stage, the different phases of the process. Of special interest is how the members of the group integrate their corporeal resonance into understanding the music and the patient, just like Blacking [1974] who feels that the roots of music are in our body. Lee's article (chap. 17) focuses on clinical listening, which helps us explore meanings, although the move from the music to the clinical interpretations may leave the reader with a number of unanswered questions. Scheiby (Chap. 20) discusses supervision in Analytic Music Therapy (AMT), where both musical and verbal processing of clinical material are essential components. It is a rich article, using an example replete with details and clear illustrations using analytic concepts in therapy and in supervision. A subject that was not explored in this book and I believe, deserves our attention is the application of intersubjective perspective in supervision. Supervision is a crossroads of a matrix of object relations of three persons, of a complex network of transference/countertransference patterns. Its emotional climate is a crucial factor in its evolution into a transitional space, that can generate new meanings (Berman, 2000).

This book will prove to be a valuable addition to the library of anyone who recognizes the need to remain current with the state of teaching and supervising in music therapy, and for new and experienced music therapists who weigh possibilities of different supervision styles. Overall the book is well written, and well edited. The progression and development of the subjects raised by the authors is logical and coherent. It clarifies and sharpens the message that different supervision styles may fit a music therapist at different points in his/her professional life. Implicitly, it recommends that we should all try different supervisory styles.

Although this book is intended for the professional audience, it does not feature an index. Its absence is a serious disadvantage. The richness of concepts, techniques and dilemmas raised in this book is enormous, however a summary chapter or epilogue that reviews and classifies the rich material and the different points raised by the authors, is sorely missed.

This book fills a deficiency in our professional life. It can serve as a textbook in a course for teaching supervision, and should be expected to enhance the creation of certified supervision programs the world over.

References
Berman, E. (2000). Psychoanalytic Supervision: The Intersubjective Development. Int. J. Psychoanal., Apr; 81 (pt 2): 273-90.

Blacking, J. (1974). How Musical is Man? Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.

Ruud, E. (1998). Music Therapy: Improvisation, Communication, and Culture. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Press.