‘Naming the unnameable and communicating the unknowable’: Reflections on a combined music therapy/social work program

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the sudden onset of a traumatic disabling condition. It impacts on people with SCI physiologically, psychologically and socially. People face major life changes and the lifelong challenges of disabilities that affect every aspect of their lives. This paper is a reflection on the impact of individual music therapy sessions and combined social work and music therapy group sessions, the music therapy program (MTP), on adjustment to SCI. Reflections focused on data drawn from group discussions, semi-structured satisfaction interviews of 13 men with SCI, who had undergone primary rehabilitation in the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, Melbourne, Australia; findings from an independent evaluation of MTP; and practitioner perceptions. Three themes were identified during this reflection. These were: Music as a conduit; Music and the body; and Music as a connector. Reflections identify a number of benefits of incorporating the MTP in rehabilitation programs for men with SCI.

► The music therapy program helped most men's adjustment to spinal cord injury. ► Song writing strongly facilitated emotional expression for participants. ► Music therapy activities assisted the men's physical rehabilitation. ► Social work/music therapy group sessions enhanced shared experience and support.