Mapping of Supervision in EMTC Countries
A Report from the Supervision Action Team (2021 - 2024)
Introduction
In 2021-2022, we sent out a survey to music therapy associations in the 33 member countries of the EMTC, and received 26 responses. We looked for similarities, common trends and good examples in music therapy supervision, and compared requirements in music therapy education, for practitioner accreditation and for supervisor accreditation.
Findings
1. Perception of Supervision
Supervision is perceived as professional support in general, and sometimes as a form of personal or technical support.
2. Required Hours for Music Therapy Supervision (Individual & Group)
Hours of supervision during training courses ranged from 18-125 hours, with the exception of France (500 hours):
Hours of supervision required for professional accreditation (only specified by 15 respondents) ranged from 15 to 250 hours, with the exception of Serbia (768 hours):
The recommended frequency of supervision ranges from every week to once a year (although not specified in 16 of the 26 countries).
3. Minimum Requirements for a Music Therapy Supervisor
Specified training to become a music therapy supervisor appears to be available in only 8 of the 26 countries. Rather, it is generally required to have practical experience as an accredited music therapist (between 3-10 years), along with a degree in music therapy, to become a music therapy supervisor. Some are trained as supervisors in general, not specifically for music therapy.
4. Payment for Supervision
Payment for supervision is mostly paid personally by the music therapist, although respondents in 8 countries also mentioned employers covering the cost. The fee varied from approximately 25-250 Euro/hour for individual supervision, and 15-150 for group supervision, although the most common price is 30-60 Euros. The fee tends to be set by the supervisor (14 responses) but can also be recommended by local associations or institutions.
5. Decision to Take Supervision
The decision to take supervision appears to be personal but can also be: a) recommended by associations; or b) a work requirement (at the cost of the employer). Generally, music therapists take supervision when they have a doubt or problem with a client, or when they need fresh ideas. Other reasons include loneliness; the need to maintain professional standards; training opportunities or professional obligation for certification; the wish to share with other professional music therapists; difficulties with colleagues; and compassion fatigue.
In conclusion, music therapy supervision is valued as professional support in most EMTC countries and is present in most music therapy training programs as part of the curriculum, but not generally regarded as an essential component in music therapy practice, nor as an independent profession. There is a wide range of requirements (study programs, certification process, fees) and huge differences in all aspects of the understanding and use of supervision.
Recommendations
- Supervision is crucial for all music therapists and should be a requirement of the music therapy training and accreditation process.
- Awareness of the meaning, importance and benefits of supervision must be raised through discussion and training, and requirements should be standardised throughout Europe.
- EMTC could develop foundational training criteria for music therapy supervisor training across Europe, with help from countries with established supervision training programmes.
- National associations should promote supervision.
- Accessible literature, videos, posters etc., are needed to promote awareness.
- Institutions or employers should bear the cost of supervision for their music therapists.
Publications
Authors, studies, articles, books, presentations or other written information about music therapy supervision created in (or translated into) English by music therapists or supervisors in EMTC member countries:
| Country | Author | Year | Title | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Luik, M. | 2019 | Group supervision supporting music therapy student’s study process. ANSE Journal. European Journal for Supervision and Coaching, 1, 3, 26−34. | sise.etis.ee |
| Slovenia | Knoll, C. | 2016 | Musical Improvisation in Supervision (only abstract in English, full article in German). | psycharchives.org |
| United Kingdom | Odell-Miller, H. and Richards, E. (Eds). | 2009 | Supervision of Music Therapy-A Theoretical and Practical Handbook. London and New York: Routledge. | routledge.com |
| United Kingdom | Warner, C. & Sloboda, A. (Eds.) | 2025 | Music Therapy Supervision: Diverse Perspectives on its Cultures and Practices | hachette.co.uk |
The following two articles raise the question of supervision in the context of the development of the profession at the national level:
| Country | Author | Year | Title | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Bonde, L.O. | 2007 | Music Therapy in Denmark. Voices Resources. | voices.no |
| Israel | Amir, D. | 2001 | Music Therapy in Israel. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 1(1). | voices.no |
This article maps music therapy supervision in the USA:
| Country | Author | Year | Title | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Macrae, A. | 2024 | Professional Supervision Among Music Therapists: A Survey, Music Therapy Perspectives, 42(2),169–180 | academic.oup.com |
Click the icon to download this report as a PDF:
To cite this report: Clancy, C., Hakomäki, H., Lindblad, K., Luik, M., Radulovic, R., Roelcke, B. and Salur, Ö. (2024) Mapping of Supervision in EMTC Countries. Report from a presentation at the 11th Nordic Music Therapy Conference, Aalborg, June 26-29, 2024. Available at: emtc-eu.com/training/supervision/mapping-supervision-in-emtc-countries
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