Attachment-based, relational, psychoanalytic music therapy: the significance of musical moments of attunement with adoptees after trauma, and how this may influence broader reparation with attachments

This article summarises the author's clinical experiences over recent years of evolving a modality for music therapy with adoptive families. It frames the multi-agency context that adoption happens within as it is helpful for therapists to be aware of context, process and procedure when working within the adoption community. The author's model developed as process and procedure changed and were incorporated into legislation initially during 2015, and as the author witnessed ensuing practice developments during 2016 to 2018. The article explores significant relational and musical moments as they occurred in music therapy with children and young people who had experienced significant trauma prior to being adopted. It forms part of the author's current research which highlights the importance of both client and therapist in the intersubjective relationship, where attunement and attachment are central. It emphasises the long-term nature of such work and why this is deemed essential for relational music therapy with complex attachment issues. The author did not set out with the intent of researching her work formally, but it was apparent that experiences in the therapy room were "speaking" stories that needed sharing. Families were valuing music therapy as a modality for relational change and wanted to share their experiences so that others may benefit. The article is envisaged as providing a guide to the world of contemporary adoption for all psychotherapists unfamiliar with this territory and incorporates current theory alongside case examples from practice to highlight the relevance of music therapy within contemporary adoption. It offers an introduction to how music therapy as a sensorial and affect-laden medium might be a helpful choice of intervention with families who may struggle to describe the impact of traumatic early life experiences on children. All clients have been made into composites and there has been consent to this process.