The Theory and Practice of Vocal Psychotherapy: Songs of the Self

Austin, D. (2008). The Therapeutic Process: Connection. The Theory and Practice of Vocal Psychotherapy: Songs of the Self. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp. 193-212.

Chapter thirteen of Austin’s book discussed the significance of what it means for a music therapist to have a connection with his or her clients during therapeutic sessions. Austin shared in this chapter that finding a connection with her clients is the ‘overarching theme’ of why she works as a music therapist (pp. 193). Austin elaborated that the only way a client can experience true healing and change from a therapeutic setting is when the client has a strong foundation of connection with the therapist. A client must feel safe with a therapist and believe that their therapist is providing them the appropriate emotional experience during therapeutic sessions. It is interesting to note that Austin relates this positive client-therapist relationship to the mother-infant relationship and titles it a ‘good mother-therapist’ approach (pp. 193). The role of this good mother-therapist is to help clients find or retrieve to a lost or hidden aspect of his or herself.
Music is what facilitates the client-therapist relationship and also the client’s relationship with his or herself. It is only when the relationship between the client and therapist grows stronger, the client is able to take more risks to open up, explore, and look deeper into the root of his or her self.
Austin highlighted six core categories that must be present in a therapeutic session in order for a client and a therapist to achieve a strong bond of connection with each other. The first category is the therapist’s need to connect. The music therapist must have the ability to connect, reflect, and be aware of his or her inner self. This brings us back to Austin’s idea of the wounded healer. For Austin, choosing this profession of music therapy was also in means to heal her inner self. It is the notion that a person must know first hand how to heal his or her self before trying to help another being. Austin outlined that a music therapist must also be a consistent and a logical character for the client to always experience a present therapist that can maintain a good connection. Austin also shared the importance of a therapist’s genuine desire to want to connect with a client. Austin shared that her own personal experience of her lack of connection with her mother is a driving force for her when it comes to connecting with her clients. When Austin comes across clients that share similar past experiences as her, she emphasizes and is motivated for her clients to experience connection. Austin claimed that she feels the greatest amount of fulfillment and joy in her work when she feels connected to her clients. Austin shared that she feels the most emotionally present during those connected moments with her clients and the music has always been what facilitated the connections. Austin also stated that for her, the role of a music therapist, therapeutic relationship, and the therapeutic process were all things that were not completely separate but all intertwined.
The second category is the client’s need to connect to the therapist. It is always crucial to keep in mind that it takes time for clients to open up and reveal the root of their issues. Most clients are usually unaware that they are in need of connection with another being. The therapist must be alert to observing subtle cues such as, body language, facial expressions, behavior, and countertransference. What is essential to keep in mind is that the more damaging a client’s past relationship, that is also an equivalent measure of the client’s unmet needs. Due to this reason, clients will commonly find intimacy threatening or impossible. Blaming his or her self for not being able to attain relationships is common amongst clients. But what must be noted here are that these clients yearn for close relationships but fear rejection, especially the fear that their authentic self will be rejected. A successful client-therapist can provide clients an increased self-esteem, more realistic sense of self, and ability to maintain an intimate connection with his or herself and others.
The third category is making connections: the therapist’s inner process. Here in this category the importance of the therapist’s inner process of the client is emphasized. This process is based upon closely observing the client (E.g. – client’s musical expression, words, silence, etc.). The therapist’s inner process can occur by thoughts, feelings, memories, images, and sensations. A therapist’s inner process can then create a hypothesis about a client’s issue and then the therapist can decide how they want to intervene.
The fourth category is making connections: client’s insights. This is the client’s awareness of their therapeutic process. Usually this insight is based upon after a vocal improvisation has occurred. The insights are drawn from a client’s self-examination and observation. This category is fundamental for healing because it is where the client becomes self aware that they desire inner change. The client can begin to explore and alter their perspectives and expand on their knowledge of his or her self and others.
The fifth category is disconnection and connection: feelings. Austin shared an intriguing statement here that her motivation to connect with her clients is provoked when she feels disconnected with her clients. Austin gives insight and sheds light on the reality that ‘sometimes people say things that they do not mean, emotions do not connect to meaning, conscious mind has little or no connection to the unconscious, and that some clients lack connection to themselves period’ (pp. 204). For clients, awareness can be discovered through countertransference. The aim for a therapist when working with such clients should be to create interventions that will allow clients to connect to their authentic feelings.
The sixth category is disconnection and connection: parts of the self. Here what is highlighted again is the belief that healing involves reconnecting to a part of the self that is lost and/or learning to separate from inner qualities that dissemble clients. Dis-identifying one self allows clients to realize that the aspects of his or herself that they feel ashamed of or want to hide do not define who they are. This ability to reach the clients unconscious mind through musical improvisation ultimately enriches the conscious mind.
The seventh category is the spiritual connection. It is the essence of the client and therapist working together and being able to dig in depth into a client’s pain in search for the client to experience a new or different way of living life.

Keywords: Diane Austin, Mental Health, Vocal psychotherapy