| Summary: | In a population that experiences traumatic events, there will inevitably be resultant
mental and physical health problems. This research paper investigates the current role of
music therapy in addressing some of these types of health problems in Northern Ireland, a
place where civil conflict officially ended in 1998. This research is based on a review of
existing literature and research around trauma in Northern Ireland, supplemented by
interviews with two music therapists currently practising in
Northern Ireland. The purpose of these interviews is to highlight the therapists' own
experiences of working in a post
conflict society and to discover if music therapy
plays a role in their treatment of conflict
related health issues. Potential outcomes from this
investigation include; getting a better understanding of individual music
therapists' own awareness of conflict
related problems in their client groups, and
understanding how therapists operate in a historically divided society. Identifying the
main types of client populations music therapists in Northern Ireland work with is
also of value. The larger implications of this study are that it can identify potentially
successful strategies for dealing with conflict
related illness that could be adapted and
employed by other voluntary sector healthcare services. It might also be use ful for music
therapists in other conflict areas around the world to gain insight into how therapists in
Northern Ireland deal with trauma related illnesses.
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