Ethical Decision-Making at Intersections of Spirituality and Music Therapy in End-of-Life Care

Abstract

Abstract Music therapists in end-of-life care settings are commonly requested by patients to self-disclose their spiritual beliefs and to participate in explicit spiritual practices or rituals. Four potential courses of action available to music therapists will be framed using an integrative ethical decision-making model in context of the American Music Therapy Association Code of Ethics. Stakeholdership, moderating obligations, and ethical values are concepts integral to this examination, providing music therapists dynamic constructs to continuously utilize when determining effective, culturally responsive ethical decisions. Specific ethical principles and codes are provided for additional points of reference, and recommendations are provided to guide future explorations into the ethical dimensions of music therapy and spirituality.