CIMTR CPD Workshop: Clinical Case Study Research in Music Therapy

Music therapists and music researchers are invited to the first webinar in our new CPD workshop series. Join us online for an overview of clinical case studies as a practical and accessible research approach.

Designing and conducting research that is feasible within the realities of clinical practice can seem daunting. Many clinical music therapists have limited time, funding, or institutional support to undertake large-scale research. However, clinicians often work with compelling cases, develop innovative approaches to meeting client needs, and have access to rich clinical data that can contribute meaningfully to the profession's evidence base.

This introductory workshop will provide an overview of clinical case study research as a practical and accessible research approach for clinical music therapists. You'll be introduced to the purpose and value of case study research, explore different qualitative and quantitative case study designs, and learn the fundamental steps involved in planning and conducting a rigorous clinical case study that is feasible within your own practice setting.

The workshop will highlight how clinical case study research can help you systematically examine your work and contribute valuable evidence to inform music therapy practice.

Workshop objectives

By the end of this workshop, you'll be able to:

1. Explain the purpose and value of clinical case study research in building the evidence base for music therapy practice.

2. Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative clinical case study research designs and identify their potential applications in clinical practice.

3. Identify the key components involved in planning and conducting a rigorous clinical case study research project.

4. Evaluate the feasibility of conducting a clinical case study research project within your own practice setting.

5. Recognise how clinical case study research can be used to systematically examine clinical practice and disseminate findings that contribute to evidence-based practice in music therapy.

Speaker

Annie Heiderscheit, Ph.D., MT-BC, MFT, is Professor of Music Therapy and Director of the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at ARU. She has more than 30 years of clinical experience and over 25 years of research experience in music therapy. Her research has employed a wide range of methodologies, including clinical case study research, feasibility and pilot studies, and randomized controlled trials, with a focus on advancing evidence-based clinical practice.

Dr Heiderscheit is passionate about mentoring clinicians and emerging researchers and regularly teaches research methodology while supervising PhD students in research design and implementation. She has held leadership positions within the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

An invited educator and speaker, she frequently presents at national and international conferences, workshops, and universities. She has co-authored and edited five books, authored more than 40 book chapters, and published over 65 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her work is dedicated to advancing clinically relevant research and strengthening the evidence base for music therapy practice.

This event is part of the CIMTR's innovative CPD workshop series, new for 2026.