The use of music and mandala to explore the client / therapist relationship in a therapeutic day school

This qualitative study examined the use of a novel music and imagery technique in individual quasi-supervisory sessions that explored a client/therapist relationship. This technique was employed with four members of a clinical team at a therapeutic day school. The participants’ experiences and follow-up interviews were used to examine perceived changes in the identified therapeutic relationships. Three overarching themes were identified: (a) the effect on the clinical work or perception of the client, (b) the experience of the intervention and/or process, and (c) the effect on the (therapist’s) nonclinical self or personal growth. The results of this study provide support for the use of arts-based clinical supervision with mental health therapists who are not trained as creative arts therapies practitioners.