First Love – An Idealized Object in Music Therapy

Therapy often involves the development of an intimate therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist. By introducing the story of Hyun in music therapy, I invite readers to discover what happens during mutual music making process and what it means to the child and the therapist. I also situate this story within a triadic relationship – the child, the therapist and the family (especially the mother) so that one can see a comprehensive picture of how the happenings of music therapy relate to immediate outside world of music therapy, and vice versa. More importantly, I try to show the inner workings of the therapist and her wonderings in response to the client in order to clarify the core aspects of therapeutic process.