Publication Date
2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Music & Performing Arts
Department
Music, School of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Channing Shippen
Metadata/Fulltext
Metadata ONLY
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
As music therapy research progresses, populations that are underrepresented and under-researched become more evident. There is a lack of research, specifically intervention studies, addressing the needs of women survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. The aim of this study was to construct a goal focused plan of care created by and for these survivors. Nine music therapy sessions were created, each focusing on a different goal outlined by women survivors completing the work development program at Strings for Hope in Nashville, Tennessee. The sessions followed a natural progression, addressing increasingly more difficult topics. One session was led with the group, and the feedback after was overwhelmingly positive. Survivors highlighted the benefits of music therapy as opposed to traditional treatments, as well as expressing their enjoyment of the music and the connection it brought them. In the future, this study will be developed with a different group, all outlined sessions will be completed with that group, and the study will follow a pre-test post-test structure to support the collection of qualitative data for more in-depth analysis.
Recommended Citation
Briggs, Dorothy, "Music Therapy for Women Survivors of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 1075.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/1075
Included in
Counseling Psychology Commons, Human Factors Psychology Commons, Music Therapy Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons
Comments
A complete paper was never completed as this study commenced in a 20 minute presentation in place of a recital. For this reason, this project is more of a pilot study meant to be used as the basis of further research in this topic.