MUSIC THERAPY IN CZECH REPUBLIC
History
There is a long tradition of music therapy in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia). It directly binds to the local heritage of musical culture and folklore, to special education foundations as well as to the music – educational principles. And above all, it is bound to the psychotherapeutic influence, which represented the prevailing course of the Czechoslovak music therapy in the 1970s and 1980s.
We need to return back to the origins of music therapy in the Czech Republic to better understand the below stated foundations of current music therapy position on our territory. When analyzing those music therapy models which influenced the current condition of music therapy in the Czech Republic in detail, we can create four categories of prevailing music therapy streams concerning music therapy as a profession:
- Psycho-therapeutic music therapy (clinical)
- Neurorehabilitation music therapy (clinical)
- Special pedagogic music therapy (educational, auxiliary, rehabilitative)
- Anthroposophic music therapy
Psycho-therapeutic music therapy (clinical)
The main personality of this stream in the Czech music therapy is Dr. Jitka Schánilcová Vodňanská. She studied music therapy with Dr. Ch. Schwabe in Germany at the turn of the 1960s and the 1970s. She devoted herself to music therapy systematically in the Alcoholism Treatment department of the Prague hospital “U Apolináře” when treating alcoholics and drug addicts from 1972; and later in the Centre of Youth and Family Care. She was an organizer of three accredited psychodynamic oriented trainings in music therapy. A whole range of contemporary music therapists gained proper music therapy education there. Consequently, the development of the Czech music therapy was for long influenced by the psychodynamic oriented psychotherapy. Dr. Jitka Vodňanská currently supervises the training in Educational Music Therapy at the Charles University.
Neurorehabilitation music therapy (clinical)
Neurorehabilitation music therapy is focused on rehabilitation aims, i.e. to improve the quality of movement, fine motor skills, communication, concentration and relaxation, to release spasms and to train memory as well as time and spatial orientation. A number of therapists have included singing and practising rhythm or playing a musical instruments in various phases of the rehabilitation process, without calling this music therapy. One of the first music therapists who devoted herself to this field was Dr. Noemi Komrsková who worked with children with cerebral palsy in Hamsova rehabilitation institute in the 1970s. Since the mid 1990s, M. Ed. Markéta Gerlichová has developed this stream at the Municipal Hospital of the 1st Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, focusing on patients after brain injury.
Special pedagogic music therapy (educational, auxiliary, rehabilitative)
The roots of using music therapy in special education and rehabilitation are much deeper than it might seem at the first sight. Even though music therapy started to form around the 1960s in the Czech Republic, the healing effect of music had already been applied in a special pedagogic and rehabilitative area back in the 19th century. A prominent teacher, Mr. František Bakule, used the principles of music therapy in his work with handicapped people. His choir of handicapped children, called “Bakulovi zpěváčci” [“Little Singers of Mr. Bakule”], was well known. Nevertheless, it was not a case of classical conception of music therapy as we know it today. It was again in the 1970s when the educational and rehabilitative music therapy started to return back to special education. It happened mainly thanks to the graduates of psychodynamic oriented music therapy.
Currently, this area is undergoing a significant development – both in music therapy research and education. For example, the classes focused on music therapy in the framework of psychology or special education pre-graduate studies at universities are fully common. Also the post-graduate accredited education programme in Educational Music Therapy is set up at special education departments. The highest possible education that can be currently received is in the framework of music therapy oriented doctoral study of special education.
Anthroposophic music therapy
The anthroposophy oriented music therapy introduced by Mr. Josef Krček has been developing independently of psychodynamic oriented music therapy in the Czech Republic. He created a five-year education in anthroposophy oriented music therapy named “Musica Humana” (he has recently published a book of the same name). Many contemporary experts graduated from this very same school. They now develop the original ideas of anthroposophic music therapy as well as their own in their practices.
Research
(in alphabetical order)
M.Ed. Marie Beníčková, PhD. – studies Werbeck method with prof. Baldo Mikulič, focuses on problems of auditive perception from the view of music therapy; the president of MAUT (Moravian Association of Artistic Therapies; www.maut.cz ) and the head of Akademie Alternativa (education on the field of artistic therapies; www.academiealternativa.cz ); contact: info@akademiealternativa.cz
M.Ed. Markéta Gerlichová – works at the 1st Faculty of Medicine at Charles University, Prague, and practises music therapy with pacients after brain damage in Prague Municipal Hospital, specializes in research of the effects in music therapy during neurorehabilitation of the persons after brain injury; the president of MT branch of ČAMAD (Czech Association of Music Therapy and Drama Therapy; www.camad.cz ); contact: marketa.gerlich@seznam.cz
M.Ed. Jiří Kantor – carries out neonatology research at the Pedagogical and Medical Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc, specializes in the effect of sound stimulation on physiological functions with prematurely born children; contact: jirik.kantor@centrum.cz
M.Ed. Matěj Lipský – works at the Faculty of Pedagogy, Charles University and specializes in supportive developmental music therapy for children; he is currently organizing an international conference in expressive art therapies (http://www.expresivniterapie.org/eng/ ); the head of CZMTA (Czech Music Therapy Association); contact: melodygardos@seznam.cz
Bc. Zuzana Vlachová – her research includes a pre-graduate thesis “Music Therapy in Italy” (comparative study of Czech and Italian music therapy with its practical part based on a music therapy practice with prof. Ferdinando Suvini); since 2010 she has specialized in music therapy with refugees in the Czech Republic (bachelor thesis at Masaryk University Brno); contact: zuzkavlachova@seznam.cz
Training Courses
At the Faculty of Pedagogy of Charles University in Prague (www.pedf.cuni.cz/?lang=en), there is a two-year post-graduate course, but only for special educators and psychologists. There is a similar course at Technical University in Liberec (http://www.tul.cz/en/). Also, there is a private Akademie Alternativa, s.r.o. (www.akademiealternativa.cz) with its own education programme.
Many experienced (and widely accepted by the music therapy community) music therapists give courses and trainings under some institutions (e.g. universities, hospitals, profession associations) or privately.
The recognition of training and education institutes by the state is not directly joined with music therapy. Generally, it is the Czech Ministry of Education which decides about the recognition of diplomas from courses and trainings; however, the recognition of music therapy education by the music therapy community has not been anchored yet. There are many excellent music therapists in the Czech Republic with a wide education background, but without any special academic title or diploma.
All courses are taught in Czech.
MUSIC THERAPY PRACTITIONERS
(in alphabetical order)
M.Ed. Marie Benícková, PhD. (see Research)
M.Ed. Markéta Gerlichová (see Research)
M.Ed. Katarína Grochalová – certified therapist of Swedish music therapy called FMT-metoden (the Swedish term “Funktionsinriktad musikterapi” stands for music therapy oriented towards human body functions); working with disabled children and adults, especially with blind patients, but also with clients with other disabilities; contact: katgro@volny.cz
M.Ed. Jirí Kantor (see Research)
René Král – many years of music therapy practice with people with combined handicap (www.atelier-armeria.cz); contact: info@atelier-armeria.cz
M.Ed. Matej Lipský (see Research)
M.D. Marcela Litovová – works with children of early and pre-school age using SDMT (= Supportive Developmental MT) at the Infant Institute in Prague; contact: macali@tiscali.cz
M.A. Jitka Pejrimovská – worked at the Children’s Psychiatric Clinic in Motol, Prague; currently teaches at Technical University of Liberec (TU Liberec); she is the author of her own MT method called GENÁPÉ; contact: guta.pelegrim@seznam.cz
M.Ed. Lenka Poctová – works with children of early and preschool age using SDMT (= Supportive Developmental MT) at the Infant Institute in Prague; contact: lenka.poctova@centrum.cz
M.Ed. Tomáš Procházka works as a music therapist in Ondrejov Psychotherapy Centre and at Tloskov Institute for people with mental disabilities; a registered supervisor; contact: haros@volny.cz
M.A. Jana Procházková – works with children and their families; MT uses in her psychotherapeutical practice from 1974; she is clinical psychologist, university teacher (CU Prague, TU Liberec), a registered supervisor; contact: jane.prochazkova@email.cz
M.Ed. Dana Pšenicková – works with handicapped children at Arpida school located in Ceské Budejovice; contact: dana.psenickova@seznam.cz
Milena Raková – works with children of early and preschool age using SDMT (= Supportive Developmental MT) at the Infant Institute in Prague; contact: milena.rakova@seznam.cz
M.A. Zdenek Šimanovský – teaches at Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pedagogy, uses dramatization of folk songs in MT, co-founder of SM CPS CLS JEP (section of Music Therapy of the Czech Psychoterapeutic Society under the Czech Medical Society J.E. Purkyne); the author of a very popular book ”Hry s hudbou a techniky muzikoterapie” (1998) [Games with music and music therapy techniques]; contact: zsimanovsky@volny.cz
M.Ed. Petr Škranc – a special educator with many years of music therapy practice with people with mental and combined handicap; contact: pet.skroup@volny.cz
M.Ed. Libuše Turecková – works with handicapped children in Sanatoria Klimkovice spa (near Ostrava); contact: libuse.tureckova@seznam.cz
Bc. Hana Žejdlíková – a special educator and music therapist, studies Werbeck method with prof. Baldo Mikulic; the president of Music Therapy Association of MAUT; many years of music therapy practice with people with mental and combined handicap + logopaedics (in collaboration with clinical speech therapist); contact:
volnyamdoma@volny.cz
Other independent but important therapists and persons who are active in writing on music therapy, managing and organising MT institutions and events and promoting MT worldwide include Jan Braunstein, Josef Krcek, PaeDr. et Mgr. Jana Weber, etc.
ASSOCIATIONS
In the Czech Republic, there are currently (2010) four subjects that endeavour to define music therapy as a profession.
These are:
- Ceská muzikoterapeutická asociace (CZMTA) – [Czech Music Therapy Association]
- Ceská Asociace muzikoterapie a dramaterapie (CAMAD) – [Czech Association of Music Therapy and Drama Therapy]
- Sekce muzikoterapie (SMT) – [Music Therapy Section]
- Moravská asociace umeleckých terapií (MAUT) – [Moravian Association of Artistic Therapies]
Muzikoterapeutická asociace Ceské republiky (MTACZ) – [Music Therapy Association of the Czech Republic] (planned association)
The first three above mentioned subjects are currently entering the process of integration. They are not accepting new members until the integration process is finished. In spite of that, they currently record more than 500 people interested in the membership.
The integration of three important subjects focused on music therapy currently takes place. The future name of this newly emerging confederation will probably be “Asociace muzikoterapie Ceské republiky” (MTACZ) – [Music Therapy Association of the Czech Republic].
The subjects that take part in the merge are:
- Ceská muzikoterapeutická asociace (CZMTA) – [Czech Music Therapy Association] that aims to warrant music therapy as a profession. This association is a member of WFMT. Concerning the cooperation with foreign countries and organizing of international conferences, it is the most worldwide known subject at present. It organized the international conference “Music Therapy – Experience with Music” in 2008 (besides many Czech experts, the main speakers were Mr. C. Robbins and Mr. W. Mastnak). In 2010, it co-organized the international conference of expressive therapies “Space for Art Therapies” (the main speaker was Mr. T. Masuko).
- Asociace muzikoterapie a dramaterapie (CAMAD) – [Czech Association of Music Therapy and Drama Therapy] searches for common ground across the expressive therapies spectrum. It is a member of EMTC from 2009. This association organized the international conference “Setkávání muzikoterapie a dramaterapie” [Music Therapy and Drama Therapy Coming Together] in 2006 (the main speaker was Mr. J. Moreno).
- Sekce muzikoterapie pri Ceské psychoterapeutické spolecnosti pri Lékarské spolecnosti J. E. Purkyne (SMT) – [Music Therapy Section established at the Czech Psychotherapeutic Society established at J. E. Purkyne Medical Society]. This section associates students, experts and laymen interested in music therapy. The section organizes public meetings in Medical House four times a year. These meetings are focused on the presentation of the music therapy research results, on sharing information about news in the music therapy world and, above all, on the meetings of music therapy with other fields.
Moravská asociace umeleckých terapií (MAUT) – [Moravian Association of Artistic Therapies] has started working in 2007. The association gathers people interested in the field of artistic therapies and has four parts (Music Therapy Association – in 2009 became a member of the EMTC; Art Therapy Association; Drama Therapy Association; Dance/Movement Therapy Association). The MAUT association is a public guarantor of the private music therapy education sector represented by “Akademie alternativa” [Alternative Academy]. The Moravian Association of Artistic Therapies stays outside the integration process due to different view of the MT in the Czech Republic – mainly concerning the question of profession.
MTACZ tries to find common ground with this association.
EMTC-Delegate:
Marketa Gerlichova
Predboj 80
Praha – vychod, 25072
E-mail: marketa.gerlich@seznam.cz
2010