An Action Research Project to Explore and Develop Family Therapists’ Experiences of Using Systemic Art and Music Techniques in a CAMHS Setting

This study explores family therapists’ experiences of using systemic art and music techniques in a CAMHS setting and charts how these techniques were developed through an action research process. As a music therapist and family and systemic psychotherapist, I have used techniques in my practice that combine ideas from the Arts therapies with systemic therapy. This study was born from my curiosity to explore if these ideas and techniques could be expanded into the field of family therapy as a useful adjunct to our work with words.
The study involved recruiting participants from three NHS family therapy teams, with each team becoming a participant set. Through an action learning process, in which each set was convened consecutively, given opportunities to learn music and art techniques, try them out in their practice and report back via focus groups and consultation, feedback was gained which influenced the input for the next set. Through this process techniques were explored in depth, ideas were developed and new insights gained which not only highlighted the difference music and art can bring, but also bought attention to family therapy creativity and identity, and how change is realised and embedded within teams.
The research was analysed using thematic analysis, paying particular attention to Braun and Clark’s (2006) phases of thematic analysis. I also used Massey’s (2011) model of clarifying the kinds of data that emerge in focus group research to help the initial analysis, and paid attention to context and process throughout the analysis, as outlined by Vicesk (2010).