|
Historical Background
The existence of art therapies in the Netherlands founds his bases in 1962 as a professional association of creative art therapists was founded which later flew into the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Creatieve Therapie (NVCT) Three years later the first training course started (Middeloo) which became closely linked with the 'creative process theory', followed by four other courses between 1978 and 1986.
During the 80's the emphasis was on the differentiation of therapeutic methods for different target and research into music therapy began. By the publishing of the journal 'Tijdschrift voor Creatieve Therapie' and by the start of the registration for music therapist the art therapies professional development had a chance to grow.
The professional development got continued by the publishing of an official description of the profession 'creative therapist', to which in 1999 was completed by the official description of music therapy.
A more scientific foundation was started by the “Kenniskringen” conducted by Henk Smeijsters and ‘Lectoraat Professionalisering van agogische beroepen en vaktherapeuten in de gezondheidszorg’, conducted by lector Kitty Kwakman .
The crowning glory of the effort to give the art therapies a scientific foundation and evidence based aura was the start a post graduate training course on academic level for research in arts therapies (=music, art, drama, dance and psycho motoric therapies) started in Sittard, in 2004!
The latest developments are the new registration and re-registration and the fusion of the NVCT and the NVPMT, which is a fact from 1 January 2006.
Influential models of music therapy
Creatief proces theorie:
The most influential model of music therapy in the Netherlands has its theoretical roots in structuralism, humanistic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. A core issue is the analysis of the individual pattern of psychological needs, obstacles for growth, and features of the therapeutic situation.
Art-analogue music therapy:
Essential to this model is the assumption of an analogy between human life and the process of artistic creation. Enhancing artistic problem solving is presumed to improve the general ability to cope with life problems.
Analogue process model
In this more recent model, the emphasis is on the analogy between features of the clients' problems and their musical behaviour. The problem is tackled by influencing the musical behaviour of the client.
Miscellaneous models
Less influential are a number of models that are based on theories of psychotherapy, such as psychoanalytic music therapy, gestalt music therapy, or behavioural music therapy.
Recognition as a discipline and as a profession
The government introduced a new system for clearly defined and occupational groups in the GGZ (mental health care). The occupational groups are defined as: nurses, doctors, psychologists, agogic professions and arts therapists. Music therapists belong in this system to the arts-therapists, together with the art, drama, dance and psychomotoric therapists. Probably this system will be taken over by forensic psychiatry and handicapped care in the Netherlands. The professions will have one, two or three levels of training; a basic, a differential and a expert level. Music therapists will have the basic and the differential level like the other arts therapists. Further on there is a professional register organised by an organisation of music therapists but no governmental register (yet). Informal status as well as salary is generally better in for example adult psychiatry or forensic psychiatry than in the care for the mentally handicapped, geriatrics, and child care.
Definition of music therapy
In 1999 the NVKT published the following definition:
Music therapy is a methodical form of treatment, which makes use of musical material within a therapeutic relationship in order to accomplish change, growth, stabilisation, or acceptance in the areas of emotions, behaviour, recognition or interpersonal relationships.
Training
Music therapy is a four year training course, which includes one or two years of practical training. There is a course on academic level for arts-therapists. The universities of professional education are:
Current important issues:
The development of ‘products’, ‘modules’ and Diagnostic Treatment Combinations (DBC’s). Changes in the health care system require music therapy to develop standardised methods for specific target-groups, clearly written down for clients, employers, colleagues, insurers, government, and so on. The development of a new registration register for arts-therapists, made by the NVCT and the NVPMT (Dutch association op psycho motorical therapy). The development of a new professional profile for arts-therapists. The art therapy training courses have to choose for what kind of bachelor they will train students for. For example, The university of professional education Utrecht chooses for the bachelor certificate ‘Social work’ and the university Zuyd for the certificate ‘health care’. The discussion has not been finished yet.
Organisation
Since 2000 creative arts therapists are part of the profession structure in metal health care, where we are now known as experiential therapists’, which next to art therapists, drama therapists, music therapists and dance therapists also include psych-motor therapists. Because of these developments, preparations are taken now to dissolve the NVCT. Starting from January 2006 four associations will be raise instead: Dutch Association Art Therapy, Dutch Association Drama Therapy, Dutch Association Music Therapy, Dutch Association Dance Therapy and the Dutch Association Psycho-motor Therapy.
From the 1st of January 2006 these five associations will be united in the Dutch Federation of Experiential Therapies. The various associations will unite their strengths in collective (re-)registration procedures, a job description of the experiential therapies, a professional journal and office facilities. Website: www.vaktherapie.nl
In the future, the NVvMT will also have an own website.
Working as music therapist
Music Therapists in Netherlands work in a lot of different areas:
In psychiatry (both children and adults) they have probably the most recognition. The music therapist works often in multi disciplinary settings with other arts therapists and has most of the time a psycho therapeutic basis. Areas of work – only clinical and/or freelance?
Another big part of music therapists work with adults and children with various learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. The problems of this working area is the more diffuse border between therapy and accompaniment, or in case of working with children, coaching of their development.
A smaller, but a fast growing group of music therapists work in the elderly care. These music therapist has to fight for a good working place and recognition because their profession is very often confused with the work of a activity therapist or social worker.
A few music therapists work in hospitals and revalidation centre’s. They have often small contracts and have problems to keep their job’s because of economy of the health institutions.
A growing group of music therapists work free lance or have their own practice. Due to the PGB system (personal bound budget) individuals have the chance to pay their own (music) therapists, without the interfering of health insurance companies. It seems that this way of work as a music therapist has the near future. Although for the development, professionalisation and recognition of the profession it is very important that music therapy behold his place in clinical settings.
Literature
Tijdschrift voor Creatieve Therapie (the journal of the creative therapies, publ. four times a year).
Broepsprofiel van de Muziektherapeut (1999). NVCT, Utrecht. (can be ordered from the NVCT).
Bruyn, M. de (ed.) (1994) Muziektherapie op maat: toepassingen in de revalidatie van kinderen en volwassenen. Intro: Nijkerk.
Grabau, E. & Visser, H. (1987). Creatieve Therapie: Spelen met mogeljkheden. Van Loghum Slaterus: Deventer.
Hattum, M. van & Hutschemaekers, G. (2000). Vakwerk: Producttypering van vaktherapeuten voor het programma stemmingstoornissen. Trimbos-instituut: Utrecht.
Schalkwijk, F. (1988). Muziek in de hulpverlening aan geestelijk gehandicapten. Intro: Nijkerk.
Schalkwijk, F. & Luttikhuis, C. (red.) (1990). Opstellen over creatieve therapie. Hogeschool Nijmegen: Nijmegen.
Smeijsters, H. (1991) Muziektherapie als psychotherapie, Van Gorcum, Assen/Maastricht
Smeijsters, H. (1995) Handboek Muziektherapie. Theoretische en methodische grondslagen voor de behandeling van specifieke stoornissen en handicaps, Melos, Heerlen
Smeijsters H. (2000). Handboek Creatieve Therapie. Uitgeverij Coutinho: Bussum.
(German translation: Smeijsters, H. (1994). Musiktherapie als Psychotherapie, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart.)
Video
* Stichting Muziektherapie Nederland (2000). ‘Moments of Freedom’: Music therapy in five care fields. (Dutch and English version available from Stichting Muziektherapie Nederland)
* Stichting Muziektherapie Nederland (2004) ‘Muziektherapie voor wie?’ An educational video + workbook about indications for musicktherapy in the geriatric and elderlycare.
Delegate:
Jasperien van der Pasch, studied music therapy at the ‘university of professional education Utrecht’ in Amersfoort. She is board member of the Dutch Association Music Therapy (NVvMT) since January 2005. She works in the geriatric and elderly care. In the past she worked with children with learning disabilities and autism. At the moment she works in Eindhoven in a nursing home and a day care centre for children with learning disabilities.
As a freelance trainer she gives courses for nurses about the use of music and sound in complementary care. |