TREATING A CLINICAL SAMPLE OF HIGHLY GIFTED UNDERACHIEVERS WITH MUSIC THERAPY AN EXPLORATORY STUDY pp. 25-44
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Authors: Lony Schiltz-Ludwig
Abstract: Published literature as well as personal observation show that gifted adolescents suffering from severe intellectual inhibition may generally not be helped by pedagogical means alone. This special syndrome results from a deep disturbance of the affective and drive functioning and may be treated by psychodynamic music therapy in individual sessions, combined with psycho-pedagogical applications of music in group sessions. Data drawn from an exploratory study, based on a mixed research methodology, combined a psychometric scale, a projective test and an observational frame for the therapeutic sessions and showed changes induced in the cognitive, emotional and conduct variables by music therapy treatment. We compared two clinical subgroups of students treated by the above described psychotherapeutic approach (N = 20, N = 23) to a control group (N = 43) of students who had only pedagogical measures. Case material helps to illustrate the psychotherapeutic process. The discussion stresses the opportunity to offer music psychotherapy to gifted underachievers as a means of tertiary prevention.
