Who are the Music Therapists in Mexico and How Do They Practice?

Abstract

Music therapy in Mexico has a limited history, with isolated efforts to establish the discipline, lack of university programs, and limited public awareness of the profession. Given the lack of research about music therapy in Mexico, we implemented a quantitative online survey to understand the status of music therapy practice, inviting any selfidentifying music therapists that had practiced between 1997 and 2022. A small sample of self-identified music therapists (N = 33, including practicing music therapists and students) responded to the survey. This sample seems representative of practitioners in the country. Educational level varied widely, from no university degree (in any discipline) to master’s degrees in music therapy, obtained in other countries. Most practitioners (n = 20) reported having no university degree in music therapy. According to our results, music therapists working in Mexico address similar needs and are in similar settings to other music therapists around the world. The most common music therapy approaches are a humanistic approach developed in Mexico and the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, with receptive methods most often employed. Young adults with mental health needs, with self or family funding, are the most common clientele. Costs, treatment duration, and session duration are comparable to other therapies in the country, but the income from this practice is very limited. About two thirds of practitioners engage in supervision, and most use several documentation methods. We consider that Mexico displays an emerging discipline, with practitioners showing optimism, commitment, and enthusiasm to the professionalization of music therapy in Mexico. Suggestions for organizational efforts and support from other countries are included.

Keywords

• Mexico; emerging discipline; music therapy development