The history and background of supervision in music therapy

Discussion of clinical work in supervision is now integral to the professional life of a music therapist, and it is well recognised that engaging with another professional who can offer new insights deepens thinking and encourages clinical rigour. In 1990, the Association of Professional Music Therapists (APMT) in the UK was one of the first music therapy organisations worldwide to launch a professional supervision scheme for music therapists, and to define supervision in music therapy formally within its procedural publications, (APMT 1990). The development of this scheme will be used as a case study throughout this chapter to illustrate the professional development of supervision practice. The chapter will also include a selected literature review of writings, which illustrates different approaches and theoretical models of music therapy supervision.