Professional/Short course Supervision Training for Music Therapists

Content

The module syllabus typically includes the following topics:

Introduction to supervision models

• Supervision in healthcare
• History of music therapy supervision
• Co-creation of professional identity
• Use of musical processes in supervision
• Educational factors in supervision
• Psychodynamic supervision
• Importance of listening and hearing
• Group supervision
• Different media
• Online and face-to-face supervision

Professional practice

• Establishing a contract
• Record keeping
• The context of ethics and professional conduct
• The Creative Arts context
• Recording and illustrative records

Client groups

• Student supervision
• The new practitioner
• The experienced practitioner
• Keeping the client in the frame
• Working with disturbance
• Institutional dynamics

Group supervision models

• Theory and practice of Balint supervision
• Theory and practice of the Ahonen method
• Working with other professional groups
• Case studies and scenarios
• Working with difference

Ethics and professional context

• Professional body requirements
• HCPC code of conduct, performance and ethics
• Supervisory practices within the arts therapies
• Supervisory practices within psychotherapy

Use of creative materials

• Musical Dyadic improvisation
• Musical Group improvisation
• Parallel process within musical processes
• Use of recorded music within supervision
• Use of visual materials within supervision
• Use of mandalas to represent supervisory relationship
• Use of other art forms for processing experiences

This module will equip you to develop your own practice as a music therapy supervisor in varying contexts and to recognise your own limitations within this process.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods will include the learning experiences listed below.

Scheduled learning -the workshops will take place at Glenside Campus with an online option for those unable to attend in-person. The intensive days in January are mandatory face-to-face sessions. Teaching will include seminars, demonstrations, lectures, small group activities, individual and paired work and group discussions. You will be asked to prepare papers and reports for discussion.

You will be assigned a particular supervision group facilitated by one of the course tutors and will bring material from your own practice to discuss in this confidential space. Seminars and lectures will take place in the morning finishing by 13:00, apart from the intensive days which will be from 10:00 to 16:00.

Independent learning includes hours engaged with essential reading, further reading, reflective writing and self-directed study, preparation for lectures and in-class activities, and assignment preparation and completion.

Study time

This level 7 (Masters level) module involves experiential delivery in the form of face-to-face workshops with music therapy staff who are experienced supervisors of music therapists, training music therapists and other healthcare professionals.

The course will involve five half-day workshops throughout the year (online or in-person options) with a three-day intensive in January, ending with a day for viva presentations in May/June. Supervision practice will involve a minimum of 12 hours of face-to-face supervision with further associated hours for supervision, reflection and case notes. 

Assessment

All learning outcomes will be based on a professional practice portfolio and a viva presentation of a maximum of 30 minutes to the student cohort and examiners, followed by a discussion of 15 minutes maximum.

The portfolio will include a log of hours spent on supervision activity, notes and reflections on your taught sessions,  a reflective account of supervision given and received, an appraisal from the seminar group leader, a report from your supervisee(s) and a self-appraisal. Opportunities for you to gain feedback on your developing understandings and knowledge and your musical, supervisory and critical evaluation skills will be embedded throughout the module, e.g., in group seminars, discussions and small group activities.

You will be required to share your understandings and skills with teaching staff, and teaching staff will provide you with feedback on the appropriateness/level of your understandings and skills.