Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, RP, MT-BC, MTA, Megan Goodwin, MoAHW, BMus (Therapy), DipCounselling, Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz, PhD, MT-BC, Monika Overå, MA-MT, Karyn Stuart-Röhm, PhD, MMus (Music Therapy) – “Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Music Therapy Contexts”
The WFMT Research and Ethics Commission “…promotes the integration of research and ethics into the practice of music therapy throughout the world” (WFMT, 2020). One of the key goals of the commission is to “…promote and assist music therapists, including researchers, clinicians, and/or academics, to work according to WFMT ethical guidelines and local cultural understandings of ethical and moral care” (WFMT, 2020). The commission took on several projects since 2020, including the publication of a WFMT Code of Ethics. The collaborative commission work on the Code of Ethics drew awareness to many ethical issues impacting not only the discipline of music therapy but also healthcare, education and training, and research at large. As a result the commission recently published a Responding to Ethical Issues Guidance document to promote ethical awareness and guide music therapists in their practice. The WFMT encourages members to engage with this guidance document as needed to support decisions surrounding ethical concerns with deference and reverence to their local policies/procedures and grievance guideline documents. The information in this guideline is not meant to be exhaustive but is offered as a means of supportive guidance.
In this presentation hypothetical cases will be shared and discussed referring to how to navigate the ethical dilemma. In preparation for the presentation, panelists will ask their music therapy colleagues in the eight global regions to share examples of areas where they have had difficulty in navigating an ethical issue or concern. Several will be selected and presented demonstrating how to work through the challenge via the suggested steps including: gathering the facts, supporting resources, reflecting on intent and acting.
Biographies
Amy Clements-Cortes, Ph.D., RP, MTA, MT-BC is Associate Professor, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto; Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, Managing Editor of the Music and Medicine journal & Research and Ethics Chair WFMT.
Megan Goodwin, MoAHW, Bmus(therapy, Dip Counselling is a Registered Music Therapist in Melbourne Australia specialising in paediatric oncology.
Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz, PhD, MT-BC is Associate Professor at Arizona State University, Associate Editor of Music Therapy Perspectives, and Professional Training Commission chair of the Asociacion de Musicoterapeutas en Mexico.
Monika Overå, MA-MT, is a Ph.D. Research Fellow, University Lecturer, and Head of the Music Therapy Master Program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway.
Karyn Stuart-Röhm, Ph.D. is a registered music therapist specialising in dementia and trauma, an associate researcher and research supervisor, University of Pretoria, and will soon be assistant professor of music therapy, SUNY New Paltz, NY.