Organisational Anxiety, Envy and Defences: In and Out of the Music Therapy Room

This article grew out of experiences while training and is viewed from the perspective of a number of post-training years. The focus is the underlying processes at work in organisations and their effect on music therapy work. A brief chronological summary of literature is given, including the theories of Klein and Bion in relation to organisational dynamics. The dynamics between clients, staff and the organisation are considered particularly in terms of anxiety and envy, and how defences are put in place in order to manage these feelings. A case study from short term work in a psychiatric intensive care unit undertaken as part of the author's music therapy training is given to illustrate these points.