Clinical practice of dual-certified music therapists/child life specialists: a phenomenological study

The discipline of child life enjoys a strong presence in many medical settings within the current pediatric healthcare environment. Due to the widespread establishment of child life programs, music therapists often find themselves negotiating their role and contributions to pediatric healthcare in relation to the field of child life. There is increasing interest among music therapy interns and clinicians in pursuing certification in child life to increase clinical knowledge and enhance marketability. A small, but strong, cohort of dual-certified music therapists/child life specialists is currently practicing in the field, but the nuances of their clinical practice have not been systematically examined. The current study used an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of eight dual-certified clinicians, and to interpret how clinicians make sense of those lived experiences. Two overarching themes of identity and flexibility arose from the analysis: issues relating to establishing, challenging, and modifying professional identity; and flexibility manifested within areas of theoretical orientation, professional role, and clinical approach. Dual-certified clinicians vary in the degree to which they integrate the fields of music therapy and child life in practice, from complete and seamless integration of the two, to exclusive practice of only one field, depending upon the bounds of their positions. Participants reported that child life training is beneficial, but not necessary for achieving advanced practice in pediatric medical music therapy. Implications for the continuing advancement of music therapy in pediatric healthcare are discussed.