Case Study

Sarah was 13 when she was an in-patient on the Children’s Unit and attended five music therapy sessions during her recovery after being admitted for a rapid weight loss. Each hour-long session was set aside for just her and the Therapist to explore musical ideas together - All were very different but the music in each paralleled her journey back to health and strength.

At the first meeting, Sarah was distant and fragile and her mood was very abrupt and snappy. The Therapist wanted to find a way of connecting with Sarah in the music and give support at a time when she seemed isolated and unwell. Sarah felt too anxious and weak to try new ideas, but described a piece of music she liked in her last school – ‘Kumbaya’. After hearing the therapist play this song, Sarah requested the music and, though a good reader of music, she was agitated that it did not sound exactly as the written music. This prompted discussion regarding Sarah’s high expectations of herself and the controls she places on her surrounding environment and relationships.

In the next session Sarah played the same piece again and was encouraged to learn it without the music and rely on her memory and listening skills to guide her. This was to help her to trust and understand herself better with everyday decisions.

Over the next three sessions she developed the song into a very expressive improvised piece, which reflected her stronger condition and more vibrant personality. Sarah and the therapist didn’t always use words to describe her feelings, confusion, or health, and this wasn’t necessary. The quality of the music represented her state along the process and helped discussion to start as to the underlying cause of her weight loss.

Sarah commented on how this process has helped her to take risks and not put too many controls and structures into situations. It also demonstrated how mistakes are an important and creative part of life which we can survive and learn from.