Process-Based Music Therapy

Whilst more research is done on PBMT, below is the proposed clinical framework. It currently serves as the main hypothesis to be tested for what PBMT is, how it works, and how it can be operationalised. As more studies are completed, it will be updated to reflect what has, or hasn’t been found, and add in references.

1. Core Definition & Scope

Process-Based Music Therapy (PBMT) is an idiographic, functionally anchored clinical framework that targets core social and psychological processes (such as psychological flexibility, relational framing, and emotion regulation) through active and receptive musical interaction.

PBMT explicitly conceptualises music as a form of verbal behavior. Because musical interactions are operant, socially mediated, and context-dependent, they can be evaluated through a functional contextualist lens in the exact same manner as linguistic language.

This means that PBMT does not operate as a protocol-driven or syndromal model of music therapy, or any other such model that pairs interventions with DSM/ICD diagnostic categories. It is not positing to replace those models, however it provides a useful framework for working with all diagnoses and ages. Within this arena, clinicians observe behavioural function, formulate process-level imbalances, and adapt musical affordances contextually to promote psychological change across both musical and linguistic domains towards more meaningful and workable ways of living.

2. Philosophical & Epistemological Foundation

PBMT is explicitly rooted in functional contextualism and Relational Frame Theory (RFT).

Functional contextualism is the evaluation of all verbal behaviour, whether linguistic (words, syntax) or musical (pitch, rhythm, timbre, dynamic contour, inter-subjective timing), by its function within a historic and immediate context, rather than its topography, aesthetic form, or adherence to formal rules. Clinical targets are understood as functional adaptation strategies.

Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is understood within PBMT to be the driving theory behind meaning-making and change within music therapy, with musical acts representing non-linguistic yet fully verbal relational framing. Musical stimuli function as both non-arbitrary and arbitrarily applicable relational stimuli. Musical interaction serves as a non-linguistic verbal arena where transformation of stimulus functions (the changing of relationship/feeling to a contextual cue) occurs rapidly, either modifying or directly altering rigid, rule-governed linguistic behaviour, or forming new, non-linguistic relational networks in which non-linguistic populations can begin to understand their sense of self and relation to others.

In other words, PBMT understands music therapy to be the non-linguistic application of RFT to bring about meaningful change within a therapeutic environment.