A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Systemic Music Therapy to Accompany the Grief Journey of a Boy With High Functioning Autism

The purpose of this study is to describe one 9-year old boy with high functioning autism’s experience, sense of meaning, and process in music therapy from a systemic theoretical perspective in his grief process. His psychologist referred Colt (pseudonym) to a music therapy clinic for services to address his sense of identity and his emotions related to the grief of losing his father. Colt received 30 minutes of individual music therapy and 15 additional minutes of music therapy with his mother for 11 sessions over a 15-week period. Results suggest Colt used music therapy to express his feelings of grief and explore his relationships to himself, his deceased father, and his mother.