In a multidisciplinary setting or team, competing perspectives and principles can be challenging to negotiate, but supportive working relationships and effective collaboration can ultimately lead to an enriched experience and innovative outcomes for both professionals and clients. Drawing on their diverse experiences, art, music, drama, play and dance therapists emphasise the valuable results that their respective disciplines can produce when applied in settings ranging from schools to hospices, in collaboration with behaviour therapists, teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists and other practitioners. The book provides a unique perspective on the common issues faced by arts therapists when working with other professionals and will assist arts therapists in promoting their profession to co-workers and clients.

Moving beyond progress reports, clinical assessments and practical goals, this book brings to life the reflective aspects of music therapy. The result of a collaboration between New Zealand music therapists, it invites the reader to share their encounters in the therapy room through a wide variety of writings, including short stories, poetry and personal reflections. The addition of poems by a music therapy client adds a rare and innovative dimension to this book. Grounded in clinical practice, each piece of writing starts from the lived experience in the therapy room and conveys something of the ineffable elements of music therapy. Thoughtful, touching and featuring beautiful illustrations, this book will appeal to anyone looking for a more personal account of music therapy practice, including practitioners, clients and students.