Music Therapy with Women with Addictions is designed to provide music therapy students and clinicians with an intimate glimpse into the lives of various women with addictions, illuminating the challenges they bring to music therapy, the strengths and resilience they demonstrate, the resources they build and access during the treatment process, and the transformations they undergo. In doing so, the text is intended to counteract the fear, repugnance, and other adverse emotions that often orbit around individuals with addictions, and instead communicate respect.

Rooted in the clinical experiences and expertise of the authors, as well as a deep dive into extant music therapy and addictions literature, Music Therapy with Women with Addictions builds upon (and yet also diverges from) existing resources to honor and validate women’s needs and resources, recognizing that most addictions treatment programs are built upon heteronormative, sexist, and racist structures. The text begins with content to situate and provide a foundation for four additional sections: Her Story, Clinical Considerations and Themes, Therapist Reflections, and Methods and Materials. This book encourages readers to deepen self-reflection, generate questions, and explore related literature, with the ultimate aim of catalyzing evolution toward more meaningful and effective music therapy clinical practice with women with addictions.