Bridging Trauma Informed Care and Participation
Community Music Therapy for Children and Youth at Risk
Presented by Viggo Krüger
Room 230
Viggo Krüger will present qualitative findings and describe practice derived from an ongoing research project called, Towards independent living in a community, a qualitative research study of music therapy practice in the phase of aftercare in child welfare. He relates the theoretical discussion towards two perspectives, Trauma informed care and Participation. Trauma informed care is an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to symptoms of trauma.
Trauma Informed Care emphasizes physical, psychological and emotional safety for both consumers and providers, and helps survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowerment. Further, he relates the discussion within a broader context of Participation. He argues that music has a potential as a force for social change and spans an unlimited number of combinations. Music can function as a practice that involves the activity of personal reflection processes and music can function as a socio-political force, able to change social realities and alter power relations.
In sum, he presents three Community Music Therapy strategies, bridging Trauma informed care and Participation, and which might be appropriate for further investigation and implementation in a child welfare setting. First, there is the need for a person-oriented strategy which involves activities such as conversation, song writing, and the use of music technology. Second, there is the need for a community-oriented strategy wherein activities such as playing in a band or organizing a performance comes into focus. Third, there is a need for a strategy which implies working with networks, social environments and power relations.
Viggo Krüger holds a position as researcher and music therapist at Aleris Care Norway, as well as a position as Associate Professor II at GAMUT, University of Bergen. Krüger is chair of Norwegian Association for Music Therapy (NFMT). He is also chair of Community Music Therapy Project, “Come Closer”. Since 1987 Krüger has been full member of Norwegian Grammy award winner band Pogo Pops.
***EVENT IS FREE. REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED***