CBMT Ethics and Cultural Competency 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A music therapist is treating a minor whose parents are divorced. Which parent has the authority to provide informed consent for music therapy?
- The parent who initiated the referral
- The parent with whom the child primarily resides
- The parent holding legal custody or both parents if custody is shared (Correct answer)
- Either parent, since both are legally the child's guardians by default
Correct answer: The parent holding legal custody or both parents if custody is shared
Informed consent must come from the parent with legal custody; if custody is shared, both parents may need to consent depending on state law.
Question 2: A music therapist notices a client's religious beliefs conflict with certain musical styles used in the facility's standard protocol. The ethical response is to:
- Educate the client about the therapeutic benefits of the music and continue
- Modify the protocol to accommodate the client's religious values (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a therapist of the same religion
- Document the conflict and apply the protocol unchanged to maintain consistency
Correct answer: Modify the protocol to accommodate the client's religious values
Respecting client autonomy and religious beliefs requires adapting interventions to align with the individual's values.
Question 3: When a music therapist realizes mid-session that they lack the cultural knowledge to effectively serve a new client population, the MOST ethical action is:
- Terminate treatment immediately and refer out
- Continue services while seeking supervision, consultation, and additional training (Correct answer)
- Limit sessions to music the therapist is personally familiar with
- Delegate session planning to a cultural liaison without maintaining clinical oversight
Correct answer: Continue services while seeking supervision, consultation, and additional training
Ethical practice requires pursuing competence through supervision and training rather than abandoning clients or continuing without self-improvement.
Question 4: Under mandatory reporting laws, a music therapist who suspects child abuse is REQUIRED to:
- Consult with the treatment team before filing any report
- Report suspicions to the appropriate child protective authority regardless of certainty (Correct answer)
- Obtain the client's permission before making a report
- Document observations for 30 days to confirm the pattern before reporting
Correct answer: Report suspicions to the appropriate child protective authority regardless of certainty
Mandatory reporters must report reasonable suspicion of abuse promptly; they are not required to have proof or obtain client consent.
Question 5: Which scenario BEST illustrates the ethical principle of veracity (truthfulness) in music therapy?
- Telling a client their progress is better than documented to boost motivation
- Accurately communicating assessment findings to the client and interdisciplinary team (Correct answer)
- Withholding a diagnosis to prevent client anxiety
- Adjusting session notes to match what the referral source expects
Correct answer: Accurately communicating assessment findings to the client and interdisciplinary team
Veracity requires honest and accurate communication with clients and colleagues, even when information may be difficult to share.
Question 6: A music therapist is ending services with a client who has formed a strong therapeutic bond. To support ethical termination, the therapist should:
- End all contact abruptly to prevent dependency
- Plan a gradual termination process with the client, reviewing progress and providing referrals as needed (Correct answer)
- Continue sessions informally as a friend to ease the transition
- Allow the client to determine when termination occurs without therapist guidance
Correct answer: Plan a gradual termination process with the client, reviewing progress and providing referrals as needed
Ethical termination involves a planned, collaborative process that reviews progress, processes endings, and ensures continuity of care through referrals.
Question 7: A music therapist working with Indigenous clients wants to incorporate traditional ceremonial music. The MOST culturally ethical approach is to:
- Research the tradition online and replicate it to demonstrate respect
- Ask the client or tribal elder for guidance and seek explicit permission before use (Correct answer)
- Avoid all traditional music to prevent appropriation risks
- Use widely known commercial recordings of Indigenous music as a compromise
Correct answer: Ask the client or tribal elder for guidance and seek explicit permission before use
Using ceremonial or sacred music without community permission constitutes cultural appropriation; seeking guidance directly from community members is ethically required.
CBMT Ethics and Cultural Competency 5
A music therapist is treating a minor whose parents are divorced.
Which parent has the authority to provide informed consent for music therapy?