Music Therapist as (a) case study: examining counter-transference with a young child

Journal/Book: Nordic Journal of Music Therapy. 1995; 4: 3-10.

Abstract: While working with Louie, a five year old boy presenting with behavioural and task-commitment problems, the author interrogates his own needs, fantasies and counter-transference. Through an examination of closure and the co-creation of a "Goodbye" song ritual, the therapist attempts to unravel his own counter-transference and fantasies surrounding the fathering of a son and the rescuing of his own inner child. The possibility that such phenomena may have led to a pre-mature ending to the therapy sessions leads the author to question the objectivity of a clinical case study that does not include an examination of the therapist's own counter-transference process.

Note: Chris Wildman Cape Town, South Africa, was born and educated in London and worked as a teacher in Cape Town, South Africa before completing an Advanced Diploma in Remedial Music there in 1987. He has worked mainly in the area of music therapy in pre-school education and has published articles and created resource tapes particularly for the South African grassroots context. These include: Let's Get Together With Music: A new South African resource for people working with young children (E.L.R.U. Cape Town 1991), and Zig Zag Zu (E.L.R.U. 1993) a music, movement and puppet show resource introducing African languages to pre-school children.

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