Ethics and Cultural Competency Flashcards

The principle of beneficence in music therapy ethics means:

Answer: Actively working to promote the client's wellbeing and therapeutic benefit

Beneficence requires music therapists to actively promote client wellbeing and design interventions that provide genuine therapeutic benefit.

Non-maleficence in music therapy requires therapists to:

Answer: Avoid practices that could cause psychological, physical, or social harm to clients

Non-maleficence obligates music therapists to identify and minimize the risk of harm in all clinical decisions and interventions.

When a client's cultural beliefs conflict with the evidence-based approach the therapist intended to use, the therapist should:

Answer: Adapt the approach to honor cultural beliefs while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness

Culturally responsive practice adapts evidence-based approaches to align with client cultural beliefs, maintaining therapeutic integrity while honoring identity.

Social justice advocacy is considered part of music therapy ethics because:

Answer: Structural inequities affect access to health care including music therapy

Social justice awareness recognizes that structural inequities affect health outcomes and access to music therapy services for marginalized populations.

Termination of music therapy services should ideally be:

Answer: Planned, gradual, and therapeutically processed with the client whenever possible

Ethical termination is planned, communicated clearly, and processed therapeutically to consolidate gains and prevent abandonment.

When a music therapist works with a client from a culture where they have limited knowledge, the BEST action is to:

Answer: Seek consultation, research the cultural context, and ask the client to share their cultural perspective

Cultural competency requires ongoing learning through consultation, research, and direct inquiry with the client to provide culturally responsive care.