Exploring the experiences of professional practice for Australian based registered music therapists

The music therapy profession has grown in size and recognition within Australia since it was established over 40 years ago. It is therefore important to understand the needs of the profession and its future development in Australia. Recent international and Australian-based studies report that although music therapists generally experience their work as personally rewarding, and have a positive outlook for the field's future, stress related to advocacy and low rates of pay were identified as ongoing issues. To further explore this topic, rich descriptions of how professionally trained music therapists experience their careers have been gathered in order to analyse the ways Australian based registered music therapists (RMTs) describe their experiences of professional practice. A descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted for this exploration, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 registered music therapists during 2019. Three common concepts were identified through analysis: the unique identity of a registered music therapist; the unique aspects of practice as a registered music therapist; and the impact of a registered music therapist's work environment. Australian based RMTs described an intertwining of their professional and personal identities. Even though the overall experience of practicing in Australia appears to be positive, issues relating to work conditions, advocacy and recognition for the profession are ongoing.