Playlists in Music Therapy: Using Participant-Selected Playlists to Inform Student Music Therapy Practice.

<p><strong>The purpose of this research was to examine the use of participant-selected playlists (PSPs) within an active student music therapy practice. The study focused on the music therapy playlists of two participants - one adolescent and one young adult, both attending individual music therapy sessions at a regional centre. The guiding research question was: ‘Playlists in music therapy: How did a student music therapist use participant-selected playlists to inform therapeutic practice?’ A pragmatic action research process was followed, providing a context-sensitive approach that facilitated reflexive practice by the researcher/therapist. The research involved three cycles from which reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. The first cycle suggested PSPs challenged and extended therapist perceptions of their use in practice, while a musical exploration of the most frequently used songs indicated PSPs allowed participants to express themselves through the music and direct the intention of their music therapy. The second cycle added support to these initial findings, showing PSPs offered a way for participants to communicate their feelings or goals, as well as being a powerful means to encourage agency and confidence. The third and final cycle explored the process of active listening by the therapist. This work was framed around music therapist Colin Lee’s description of active listening as being an important receptive role that was not passive, but one in which the ‘listener’ contributed to the creativity of the musical experience by actively resonating with it (Lee, 2016). This cycle highlighted the potential of embodied responsiveness and silence, while also raising awareness of sociocultural assumptions. While further research is needed, the importance of the reciprocal interactions PSPs can ignite and facilitate between the therapist and the participant was emphasised in conclusion.</strong></p>