Der wackelige Boden beim Diskutieren von Fehlern in der Musiktherapie: Einblicke in ein Seminar

The subject of mistakes and failure is broadly discussed in psychotherapy, however, in music therapy this issue only recently receives attention. A seminar including professionals with varying levels of experience across countries offered a broad perspective on this issue. Five key questions characterized the discussion: (1) is this an important subject? (2) can you actually make mistakes? (3) who decides whether it was a mistake? (4) when do you decide whether it was a mistake? (5) is there a distinction between mistakes in music therapy and mistakes in psychotherapy?
Even if no clear answers were given, the discussions indicated the importance of this subject in individual and professional development. Aspects highlighted were: time is a key component in thematizing mistakes, the influence of expectations, musical background and identity of the therapist on the conceptualization of mistakes, harm to the client might as a signpost for a mistake being made, mistakes emerging as turning points in the process, and the unique framework of music for dealing with or understanding mistakes. We believe that further discussion on these aspects can enable a clearer understanding of mistakes in music therapy, their uniqueness, and the ways to work through them.