Rebecca J. Warren, MT-BC, is a music therapy adjunct professor and clinical supervisor in the Fredonia School of Music. Her article, "The Impact of Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability on Music Therapy Practica Students," was published as an advanced online publication on March 23 in the Journal of Music Therapy and will appear in the journal in June.
The Journal of Music Therapy is one of two peer-reviewed research journals supported by the American Music Therapy Association and published by Oxford University Press.
The article details the experiences of music therapy practica students who have invisible illnesses or invisible disabilities. She noted that invisible illnesses or invisible disabilities have physical or psychological effects but are not apparent to an observer. Students in the study reported specific physical, psychosocial, and cognitive symptoms that affected their practica success, which led to various choices regarding disclosure/nondisclosure and the request/use of individualized accommodations. The results indicated that music therapy students with invisible illnesses/invisible disabilities who experience difficulty meeting required competencies in clinical skills, music skills, and music therapy skills could explore remediation strategies and support with their professors and/or formal accommodations from their university’s disability office.
Ms. Warren completed the study in partial fulfillment of her Master in Music degree at Fredonia, which she received in December 2017. She also graduated from Fredonia with a B.S. in Music Therapy and B.A. in Psychology in December 2015.
The journal article can be accessed online.
