Abstract
Over 8,600 children are eligible to receive pediatric palliative care services every day
(Freibert & Williams, 2015). Due to the wide range of diagnoses and complicated
medical treatment required for these patients, adequate pediatric palliative must serve
patients using a holistic, interdisciplinary team approach Research has shown that music
therapy with pediatric palliative care patients and their parents can facilitate bonding,
provide meaningful experiences, enhance communication, and relieve stress
(Lindenfelser, Grocke, & McFerran, 2008). Therefore, the researcher sought information
about how parents are impacted by music therapy when observing or participating in
music therapy sessions with their child on palliative care services. The research questions
included: (a) what are parental experiences of music therapy with children on pediatric
palliative care services? And, (b) how are parents impacted by music therapy when
observing or participating in music therapy sessions with their child in palliative care
services? Seven participants participated in this study. Each participant was audiorecorded in a semi-structured interview. Data were then analyzed upon completion of the study and global themes were discovered among the participants. Results from the study showed that music therapy had positive primary and secondary impacts on parents of children receiving palliative care.
