Jane Brackley

Jane is researching the use of music therapy to support identity development in adolescents who attend alternative education provision and have a history of adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

[email protected]

Background

Supervisory team: Prof Jörg Fachner (1st), Dr Philip Kirkman (2nd), Prof Helen Odell-Miller (3rd)

Jane began her PhD research study within the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research in 2019. Her research interests centre around the use of music therapy to support identity development in adolescents who attend alternative education provision and have a history of adverse childhood experiences and trauma. Jane’s studies are focused on exploring music therapy clinical experience working alongside adolescents, with reference to psychoanalytic and psychology theory, developments in neuroscience and trauma-informed therapy models, to inform music therapy practice in this clinical area.

Jane gained her Masters in Music Therapy with distinction at ARU. Her MA dissertation focused on music therapy and the expression of anger and aggression in children aged 5-9 at risk of mainstream school exclusion.

On the basis of this research, Jane completed a book chapter which was published in Music Therapy in Schools in 2011. Since qualifying as a music therapist in 2003, Jane has developed a special interest in working within the education system with children and adolescents who have a history of adverse childhood experiences and trauma.

Research interests

• Music therapy with adolescents who have experienced childhood trauma
• Key aspects of identity formation in adolescence
• Impact of adverse childhood experiences and trauma on adolescent identity formation and what constitutes ‘healthy’ identity formation in adolescence
• Implications of trauma-informed therapeutic approaches, underlying theory and research for music therapy practice with adolescents who have experienced trauma
• Music therapy practice in support of ‘healthy’ development of identity during adolescence for young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma

Qualifications

• Certificate of Further Professional Study, Introduction to Child and Adolescent Counselling: Cambridge University
• MA, Music Therapy, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
• PGCE, Secondary and Instrumental Music Teaching, Institute of Education, London
• PG Cert, Piano Accompaniment, Trinity College of Music, London
• BA (Hons) Music, Colchester Institute School of Music

Selected recent publications

Brackley, J., 2020. Book review: Creating Music Cultures in the Schools: A Perspective from Community Music Therapy (Rickson & McFerran). Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy, 12(1), pp. 151-154. (first published on 24 March 2018).

Brackley, J., 2011. Music Therapy and the Expression of Anger and Aggression: Working with Aggressive Behaviour in Children aged Five to Nine who Risk Mainstream School Exclusion. In Derrington, P., Oldfield A., & Tomlinson, J. (eds), Music Therapy in Schools (London: Jessica Kingsley).