In Episode 110, following a discussion on social media, Luke talks to Ben Richardson about the language around music therapy, Relational Frame Theory, commissioning, and whether music therapy is actually 'functional all the way down'. You'll be hearing more from Ben at the BAMT conference in November 2026, and no doubt in future publications, but Music Therapy Conversations got here first!

Ben Richardson is a music therapist and the Therapy Lead at the National Online School, a large multi-disciplinary team of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, creative arts therapists, and therapy assistants. His clinical and academic work focuses heavily on the intersection of music therapy and contextual behavioural science. By integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), Ben wants to build a framework of Process-Based Music Therapy, exploring clinical musical interactions as a rich, complex form of verbal behaviour, whilst honouring the importance of the aesthetic and "felt" aspects of the work music therapists do. Ben is particularly driven by the changing commissioning environment for education, health, and social care, and what music therapists could do to strengthen their position within it. He will be presenting his research on this at the BAMT conference in November.

References

Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., Roche, B. 2001. Relational Frame Theory: A Post-Skinnerian Account of Human Language and Cognition. Springer.

Pavlicevic, M. 1997. Music Therapy in Context: Music, Meaning and Relationship. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Törneke, N. 2010. Learning RFT: An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory. New Harbinger Publications.

Links

LinkedIn TMTC: The Music Therapy Charity

Not referenced in the recording, but Chan et al. (2022) a good example (and open access article) of application of RFT principles to music (not music therapy): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37397135/

Mary-Clare Fearn is a HCPC registered music therapist, neurologic music therapist, supervisor, trainer and consultant with many years of experience working with children, young people and adults across education, healthcare and community settings. She is recognised for her integrative and collaborative approach, combining relational, trauma-informed and neurologic frameworks to optimise therapeutic outcomes for clients and the wider systems supporting them.

She is currently working with children with SEMH needs, autism, and learning disabilities, as well as providing music therapy on a paediatric hospital ward.

Alongside her therapy work Mary-Clare has worked extensively with staff teams. Her work incorporates attachment-informed approaches, including the principles of PACE from Daniel Hughes' Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.

Mary-Clare is a BAMT registered supervisor and provides supervision, consultation and reflective support for therapists and multidisciplinary professionals, with an inclusive approach at the heart of her practice.

Early in her career, Mary-Clare established the music therapy outpatient service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital's Cheyne Child Development Service, supporting children with cerebral palsy, autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs. She has held specialist music therapy roles within SEN schools across Dorset and Somerset. For many years she has been a visiting lecturer at University of Roehampton delivering teaching, workshops and introductory training courses.

Mary-Clare has presented nationally and internationally on music therapy, neurologic music therapy, collaborative practice and attachment-informed approaches. Publications include:

Fearn, M-C., Bailey, E., Mitchell, E. (2026) 'Neurologic Music TherapyⓇ with neurodiversity and autism' Presentation at University of Westminster, Neurodiversity in Action during Brain Awareness Week

Fearn, M-C (2024) 'Neurologic Music TherapyⓇ with autistic clients' Paper Presentation to BAMT South West Music Therapy

Fearn, M-C. & Bailey, E. (2024). International impression. [podcast] Baselines in music therapy. Available at:https://goodpods.com/podcasts/baselines-in-music-therapy-297498/emma-bailey-and-mary-clare-fearn-international-impressions-42878458

Hepper, F., Bartlett, K. and Fearn, M-C. (2021) 'Attachment theory and attachment difficulties: supporting autistic children and young people in residential school settings', Good Autism Practice , 22(2), pp. 51–58 (8).

Fearn, M-C. (2019) 'Edges, Safeguarding and Endings' Paper Presentation at Key Changes Annual Conference, Hampshire

Strange, J., Fearn, M-C., & O'Connor, R., (2016) 'Music and Attuned Movement Therapy; How the Facilitator Mediates Between Client and Therapist', Collaboration and Assistance in Music Therapy Practice; Roles, Relationships, Challenges. Ed: Strange, Odell-Miller & Richards, Jessica Kingsley Publications, , Chap 11, pp 200-226,

Fearn, M-C (2015) 'Flute, Accordion or Clarinet? Using the Characteristics of Our Instruments in Music Therapy' Ed: Oldfield, Tomlinson & Loombe, Jessica Kingsley Publications, Chap 3, pp 76-77

Fearn, M-C. & O'Connor R., (2008) 'Collaborative working at the Cheyne Day Centre, London,' Integrated Team Working; Music Therapy as part of Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches. Ed: Twyford & Waston, Jessica Kingsley Publications, Part 1 pp -55-61

Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2005) 'Music and Attuned Movement Therapy' Paper Presentation at the World Congress on Music Therapy, Brisban, Australia,

Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2004) Music and Attuned Movement Therapy'. Paper presentation at the British Society of Music Therapy, London

Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2003) 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts', BJMT, Vol 17(2) pp 67-75

Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2002) 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts', Paper Presentation at World Congress of Music Therapy, Oxford

Dr Sami Alanne, DMus, music therapist, training psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, is an Adjunct/Associate Professor of music therapy and a researcher at the University of the Arts Helsinki. His studies include traumas, refugeeism, mental health, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy relating to music, culture, philosophy, and society. He is the author of the books The Theory and Practice of Psychodynamic Music Psychotherapy (Barcelona Publishers) and Music, Music Therapy and Refugees: Aspects of Trauma (Palgrave Macmillan).

Dr Alanne graduated as a music therapist at the Sibelius Academy in 1999 and the Master of Philosophy in music therapy at the University of Jyväskylä in 2001. He has worked in music therapy and mental health fields for over 30 years. As a music therapist and a psychotherapist, he has worked with children, adolescents, their families, and adult clients providing individual and group therapy at his private practice and health care company Apollo Terapiapalvelut (Apollo Therapy Services) in Helsinki. Besides his clinical work, during his career Alanne has been actively teaching, supervising, doing research, project work, and media appearances relating to music therapy, psychotherapy, health care, social welfare, and mental health services.

In 2010, Alanne was awarded the title of Doctor of Music at the Sibelius Academy. His published dissertation was Music Psychotherapy with Refugee Survivors of Torture. In 2011, Alanne graduated as a psychodynamic music psychotherapist at the University of Oulu, and in 2013, as a trainer psychotherapist in music psychotherapy at the University of Oulu, Faculty of Medicine. After his special advanced level training of music psychotherapy at the University of Oulu in Finland, Alanne published another monograph Musiikkipsykoterapia (2014) in Finnish that was a study of psychodynamic music therapy theory, methods, and research.

Since then, Dr Alanne continued his research and teaching of music therapy and psychotherapy: He has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles and books and presented them at multiple international conferences. During 2017–2019, he was a member of specialist group and project PALOMA (Developing National Mental Health Policies for Refugees at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland. In 2021, Alanne was awarded with a Title of Docent in music therapy (Adjunct/Associate Professor) indicating high level research and teaching competence at the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki), and Uniarts Helsinki`s Sibelius Academy, and CERADA (The Center for Educational Research and Academic Development in the Arts). After that he has also worked as a visiting researcher at the Uniarts Helsinki`s Research Institute. In 2022, Dr Alanne graduated as a psychoanalyst and a trainer psychotherapist at the Therapeia Institute and the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine.

References

Alanne, S. (2010). Music Psychotherapy with Refugee Survivors of Torture. Interpretations of Three Clinical Case Studies. Sibelius Academy, Music Education Department, Studia Musica 44.

Alanne, S. (2014). Musiikkipsykoterapia. Teoria ja käytäntö. [Music Psychotherapy. Theory and Practice.] Acta Universitatis Ouluensis D Medica 1248.

Alanne, S. (2023). The Theory and Practice of Psychodynamic Music Psychotherapy. Dallas, TX: Barcelona Publishers.

Alanne, S. (2025). Music, Music Therapy, and Refugees: Aspects of Trauma. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.