Music Therapy Assessment: A Reflection of Professional Identity

This article reviews current music therapy literature related to assessment and identifies five parameters used to define music therapy assessment instruments. These parameters are client population, theory/model, area of functioning/condition, technique, and response to the institution. A conceptualization of assessment is presented as an outgrowth of the interaction among intrinsic factors (e.g., the therapist's theoretical orientation and perception of the function of the assessment) and extrinsic factors (e.g., the exigencies and needs of the patient population and the pressures and demands of the institution). The author suggests guidelines for designing assessment instruments that will help to enhance the professional status of music therapists.