Music Therapy and Burnout: A Manual for Addressing, Defining, and Proposing Coping Strategies for Music Therapists Experiencing Burnout

• Other Authors: Gredler, Kathleen (author)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/2018_Fall_Gredler_fsu_0071N_14935

The experience of burnout is profound in negatively affecting an individual's professional and personal competency, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Burnout, which demonstrates an acrimonious effect on human service professionals primarily (Freudenberger, 1974), comprises elements like emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). Professional demands are rapidly growing and the expectation to fulfill magnified requirements to succeed has resulted in a drastic increase in burnout experiences in doctors, nurses, teachers, mental health professionals, counselors, and music therapists among others in the past ten years (Brooks et al, 2010; Shanafelt et al, 2015; Britt, Koranne & Rockwood, 2017; Ryan et al, 2017). Burnout across professions is associated with a high caseload, scarce resources, and negative client feedback (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). As an occupational side effect, burnout in music therapy has correlated with decreased longevity and increased turnover rates, feelings of depersonalization, heightened anxiety, and physical issues such as fatigue and impaired memory (Decuir & Vega, 2010; Kim, 2012; Clements-Cortes, 2013). However, along with increased incidence of burnout, more individualized, specific, and effective approaches in preventing and treating burnout have emerged. The most prevalent approach has been the sensationalized yet effective concept of self-care, along with self-compassion, self-efficacy, leadership, and collaboration opportunities. Implementation of self-care strategies, tools, and techniques are becoming increasingly more prevalent in addressing and managing symptoms of burnout (Sanchez-Reilly, 2013; Coaston, 2017; Smit, 2017). This treatise provides an overview of burnout, addresses the music therapy specific experiences and conditions of burnout, and provides clinical objectives in assessing and combating burnout among music therapists. The purpose of this treatise is to (1) define burnout in terms specific to caring professions, and specifically music therapy, (2) identify causes of burnout, (3) identify current interventions in addressing burnout, and (4) introduce new clinical perspectives to the experience of burnout among music therapists. === A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. === Fall Semester 2018. === November 19, 2018. === Includes bibliographical references. === Jayne Standley, Professor Directing Thesis; Lori Gooding, Committee Member; Dianne Gregory, Committee Member.