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Considerations for music therapists working across a language barrier
Thesis   Open access

Considerations for music therapists working across a language barrier

Natalie Olivia Maeda
Master of Arts (M.A.), Drexel University
26 Oct 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000010
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Abstract

Cross-cultural counseling Immigrants Refugees
Immigrants and refugees experience higher rates of mental health issues than non-migrant populations, and contextual factors, such as culture, social circumstances, and migration experiences, all interact with migrant mental health. However, migrants, especially migrants with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), do not always receive mental health treatment that meets their cultural and linguistic needs. This project examined sociocultural, linguistic, and musical factors relevant to migrant mental health to create sets of guidelines for music therapists working with migrant clients with LEP. The author synthesized music therapy and psychotherapy literature to create guidelines for multilingual music therapists and music therapists working with and without interpreters. The guidelines highlight the importance of considering one's linguistic limitation and developing a culturally centered practice, offering music therapists guidance and strategies for how to better meet a client's clinical, cultural, musical, and linguistic needs, depending on the circumstances and resources of the music therapist.

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