The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between distress tolerance, flexibility and counter-transference utilization of music therapists and to verify the mediating effects of individual flexibility and coping flexibility in the effec...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between distress tolerance, flexibility and counter-transference utilization of music therapists and to verify the mediating effects of individual flexibility and coping flexibility in the effect of the distress tolerance on counter-transference utilization. For this study, the distress tolerance, flexibility, counter-transference utilization levels and general nature were measured targeting 169 music therapists over master’s degree who majored in music therapy.
The result of study is as follows. First, as a result of verifying the difference of the counter-transference utilization level following the general nature of the music therapists, a significant difference was shown in the level of counter-transference utilization according to the highest level of education, main therapeutic target and psychological counseling or therapy-experience or not. Second, distress tolerance, individual flexibility and coping flexibility showed a significant positive correlation and effect. Also, individual flexibility, coping flexibility and counter-transference utilization had a significant positive correlation and effect. Third, each of individual flexibility and coping flexibility mediated the relation between distress tolerance and counter-transference utilization. Also, individual flexibility and coping flexibility partially mediated through this path: [distress tolerance → individual flexibility → coping flexibility → counter-transference utilization]. Through this, it is reasoned that the higher distress tolerance, the more flexible in coping and in cognitive or interpersonal relation, it will be connected to proper counter-transference utilization, even if it does not directly affect counter-transference utilization.
Therefore, these findings suggest that music therapists who are in the stress situation of counter-transference phenomenon could minimize the negative affect of counter-transference and utilize counter-transference as an effective therapeutic tool thereby being tolerant, flexible in coping.