Music Therapy Maven » music therapist

Why “Holidays” Are Important (And It’s Not What You Think)

Kimberly — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:00:40 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

As this is being posted, I’m getting ready to head out-of-town for my sister’s wedding. As with most travel events, it’s highly stressful getting ready to leave. You spend hours and several late nights trying to get ahead on work, laundry, dishes, and cleaning, so that you can actually let go and relax for a couple days.

This upcoming trip reminds me of a scene from the movie Bridget Jones’s Diary. Have you seen it? At one point in the movie, two of the main characters are going away on a little weekend trip, which Bridget Jones and her friends call going “on holiday.” Isn’t that fun? This weekend, I’m going on my own little mini-break holiday.

Although I talk about it lightly, in truth I think it’s vitally important to have these breaks from our routine, even if they are short. Going away and breaking from your normal routine is an important component of self-care. And let’s face it…

Taking care of ourselves helps us take better care of our clients.

It’s not the first time we’ve talked about self-care on the blog. So I’ve dug through the Maven archives and found some oldies-but-goodies on this very topic. Happy reading!

What are your favorite “mini-break holiday” trips?

All You Need to Know About the Designations Behind a Music Therapist’s Name

Kimberly — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:04:22 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

I got an email this week from fellow music therapist Dean Quick, who blogs at The Music From Within. Dean wrote:

I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a list containing all the different professional designations a MT-BC may hold. I am curious of what is out there that I may not be aware of.

I didn’t know of such a list, so did some digging…and found absolutely nothing.

I could not find a single comprehensive list of all the various music therapy-specific designations and acronyms available. So what do I do? I decide to create my own.

The following list is divided into 3 broad categories: 1) national professional credentials, 2) state-level legislative designations, and 3) specialty training certifications. So let’s see what we have…

National Professional Credentials

These are what’s issued to a music therapist who has met certain educational and clinical training requirements and, according to today’s standards, has passed a national board certification exam. Currently, the only national certification offered is the Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) credential, which is awarded through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).

However, there are three other national credentials you may see out there. These certifications were awarded by our two former national organizations, the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT) and the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT). When these two organizations merged in 1998 to form the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), they decided to only use the MT-BC credential.

That said, you still may see a music therapist who is a Registered Music Therapist (RMT), issued by the former NAMT, a Certified Music Therapist (CMT), issued by the former AAMT, or an Advanced Certified Music Therapist (ACMT),also issued by the former AAMT. According to the 1998 merger agreement, these certifications will be valid until 2020.

State-Level Legislative Designations

These designations are issued and regulated by state governments and are generally either a license or a registry. There are currently 2 states that offer a Licensed Board-Certified Music Therapy (MT-BC/L) license, Nevada and North Dakota, and 1 state, Wisconsin, that offers a registry, the Wisconsin Music Therapist-Registered (WMTR).

There are certain states and situations in which a music therapist is eligible to apply for a non-music therapy state license and these are typically for music therapists who work in the mental health field. One example is the Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) designation in New York. You may also see MTs who, in certain states and with some extra training, are eligible to apply to be a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). It’s important to remember, though, that these are not music therapy-specific designations.

Specialty Training Designations

There are certain trainings professional music therapists can take that will provide the MT with a designation that indicates they have taken the training. These are not “recognized” in the same way that board-certification and state licenses and registries are. But they are a nice indication of the specialization and interests of the music therapist.

Here are the specialty training designations I’m aware of, along with links to where you can do to find more information:

Analytical Music Therapist (AMT): I had difficulty finding where this was offered, but it seems through the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
MTs who are trained in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) may apply to become Fellows of the Association for Music and Imagery (FAMI)
The Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care issues the Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy (HPMT) certificate
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Music Therapist (NICU-MT) certificate is awarded to those who have completed FSU’s National Institute for Infant & Child Medical Music Therapy training.
The Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT) designation is issued to those who have completed the Training Institute offered by CSU’s Center for Biomedical Research in Music.
NYU’s Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy provides the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist (NRMT) designation to those who have completed their training.

One final note: To avoid confusion between all these different designations, the AMTA last year outlined a policy whereby they suggest music therapists only list acronyms for their degrees, state-level legislative designations, and national credentials. Specialty training designations such as the ones listed just above are to be spelled out. You can read more about that policy by clicking the first link on this page.

So…did I miss anything? If so, please let me know by leaving a comment in the field box below.

Do We Learn Our Greatest Lessons From Our Clients?

Kimberly — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:41:11 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

I’ve never been one to break the rules. I can’t help it. Even as a teenager, when you’re supposed to rebel and come in to your own as an individual, I only snuck out of the house once (to tepee people’s houses, in case you are curious). But I had an awful time. I spent the whole night worried that I was for sure going to get caught and that I would be in so much trouble…that I never snuck out again.

So it may come as no surprise that I am trying to instill this instinct in my children. I want them to listen to me, to pay attention to what I say, and to follow the directions I give them.

Yesterday, though, was a little different. My son and I were leaving the university music building following his (first!) piano lesson. It’s a maze of a building, with several possible routes in and out. Being a creature of habit, though, I tend to take the same route over and over again.

But yesterday, J-boy had a different idea. I wanted to go one way and he another. I was thiiis close to making him “be a good listener” (a.k.a. listen to what I say and follow my rules)…but changed my mind at the last second and went his route.

Why? Because of “Joey,” a client I worked with many years ago.

Joey was one of the sweetest, most affectionate 8-year-olds I knew. And at the same time he could be aggravatingly difficult because of his impulsivity, short attention span, and mood swings…all of which he couldn’t really help because of his Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) diagnosis.

Joey lived at the residential treatment center where I worked. And, as with most institutions, there were pretty strict rules about what you could and could not do. One thing in the “could not” category was to head outside without asking for permission from a staff member.

One afternoon, though, Joey came in–alone–from being outside and found me in the room.

Me: Joey, did you ask first?

Joey: No, but come and see this.

Me (getting armed to redirect Joey, always a difficult task): Joey, you need to ask permission. You need to be with the group now.

Joey (tugging on my arm): Come on! Come and see this!

I don’t know what prompted me, but I ignored the house rule and followed Joey outside. He looked up and pointed…to a beautiful double-rainbow in the sky. Then Joey flashed me a huge smile, walked inside, and joined the group without prompting or incident.

This is why I will never forget Joey. Joey taught me that, sometimes, it can be much more valuable to forget about the “rules,” the “cans,” and “cannots.” To take time to listen to our clients and follow their leads, because that can lead to beautiful things.

I wonder whether there are times our clients give and teach us so much more we do them. I’m often struck my what a privilege it is to be a music therapist and to witness the amazing growth and changes our clients make…even if they are small ones. What about you? What client or client encounter has impacted you and who you are?

Do Music Therapists “Own” Music?

Kimberly — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:16:02 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

I received an awesome comment from Maven reader Brid this week. He wrote:

Hi Kimberly, I’m perusing your site with particular interest at the moment. I’m actually a ‘nearly’ graduated occupational therapy student (just three weeks from the finish line!) and I’m also a keen musician – I have a MA in performance and a lifetime of playing, composing, performing and teaching.

I’d be interested in your thoughts on other disciplines using music as part of their therapy – is this something you support (given the therapeutic value of music) or do you feel other disciplines would muck it up without specialized training?

I’m currently running a music group with clients with enduring mental illness – I’m running it with a social/skills building/therapeutic slant, letting the participants experience a number of different aspects of music (thus far active listening, relaxation, singing, waltzing, hand jiving, exercising and talking about music). I suppose my goal is for the participants to experience music, to realize that music is for everyone, to develop skills like attention, memory and coordination and perhaps to encourage them to consciously include music in their everyday lives. I’m almost a qualified occupational therapist and believe that the sessions are benefiting clients – the hand jiving session was wonderful fun – totally infectious!!

So I wonder how you (and others) as music therapists feel about OTs or SLTs or psychologists or nurses or doctors running music groups or using music as therapy?

Although I answered Brid in the comment section of that article, it’s a question worth an entire blog post. Brid is not the first person to ask whether music therapists are “okay” with other professionals using music in their work.

The short answer is: of course!!! Music therapists in no way “own” music. We understand the power of music and think it’s wonderful when other professionals incorporate it in to their work.

But does that mean those professionals are “doing music therapy.” Well…no.

When I run a music and exercise group, am I “doing OT” or “doing PT” because I’m using many of the same exercises they use? No.

When I incorporate oral motor and respiratory exercises to strengthen the speech of an individual with Parkinson’s, does that mean I’m “doing speech therapy?” No.

And when I use active listening techniques when facilitating a group therapy session, does that mean I’m “doing counseling?” Absolutely not.

So…then what’s the difference?

The difference is that each professional listed above is trained to follow and adhere to a Scope of Practice and a Code of Ethics for their field. We have a deep understanding of the theory behind our practice, of what works and why it works, and how to best incorporate it in various situations.

In the case of music therapists, we have a solid foundation in music playing, music theory, composition, improvisation, and music psychology. In addition, we are trained in psychology and the sciences and learn how our brains and bodies respond to music and rhythm.

A music therapist not only understands the art of music as therapy…but also the science of it. And we can do amazing things with that knowledge.

I welcome anyone who–as long as they are working within their own training and scope of practice–uses music in their health, healing, and educational work. I say this with an understanding and a guarantee that how they use music won’t match what a board-certified music therapist can do.

73 Things I Wish I’d Known as a New Therapist

Kimberly — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:34:54 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

You’ve finally made it. You’re wearing that graduation cap and gown, have the diploma in one hand (or at least the diploma cover since the actual diploma won’t be shipped for another 6-8 weeks), and are taking your zillionth picture with elated family and friends. You’ve done all your coursework, you’ve finished your internship, and now…?

Now it’s time to get professional.

The transition from clinical intern to professional therapist can be a difficult one to navigate. Below are listed 100 tips to help the new therapist maneuver from student/intern to professional. I originally intended to create this list on my own, but decided last night about 9:00pm to ask my friends and readers on Facebook and Twitter to share their tips. The response was truly overwhelming and I think you’ll appreciate what they have to share below.

Some of these things I’ve done, some are things I wish I’d done, some are bits of wisdom from other professional therapists. All are intended to serve as nuggets of gold to keep in mind as you maneuver these new waters.

73 Things I Wish I’d Known as a New Therapist

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Join your professional association (for music therapists, that’s the American Music Therapy Association).
Invest in professional development (e.g. seminars, conferences, trainings, workshops).
Seek out a mentor.
Know yourself: who you are, your strengths, your areas for improvement, what you can do.
Keep learning about yourself: who you are, your strengths, your areas for improvement, what you can do.
Set aside time for play.
Exercise regularly.
Eat well. Drink lots of water.
Relish in your relationships with friends and family.
Take time off.
Criticize/complain in private. Praise in public.
Read (or listen to) professional books.
Read journal articles.
Understand your state registry/licensure requirements.
Understand your national certification requirements.
Take music lessons.
Attend at least one conference a year.
Join local business and/or professional organizations.
If possible, start recording your therapy sessions.
Create systems and procedures (e.g. for checking email, documentation, session planning, etc.)
Seek online colleagues and mentors.
Expect mistakes.
Learn from mistakes.
Stay current with local and state politics. They do affect you.
Remember that it’s about the clients.
Relish the opportunity to talk about what you do.
Take a break if you need to.
Develop good relationships with your professional peers and colleagues.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Reach for opportunities.
Dress professionally. Watch “What NOT To Wear” for some tips.
Keep learning. Be open to new populations, new approaches, new experiences.
Become a mentor. (Seriously. It’s the fast track for learning.)
Read about your continuing education requirements.
Start a folder to keep all continuing ed certificates and paperwork in one place.
Seek out peer supervision.
Spend time visualizing what you want to create for yourself.
Expect change–both short-term and long-term.
Speak up during team meetings.
Read the newsletters sent out by your associations/organizations.
Strive for personal balance.
Seek ways to nurture yourself in areas outside music.
Always have music that’s just for you that you don’t use in sessions.
Don’t be afraid to ask for supervision.
Trust yourself. You have more wisdom and knowledge than you know!
Remember to not make a client do, play, or create something you wouldn’t want to do yourself.
It’s okay to “wing it.” The unplanned can make for great improvisation…and sometimes the best sessions.
Show up. Be present.
Know what you need to do to de-compress.
Develop and continue to grow your “go-to” repertoire.
Change out your “go-to” pieces on a regular basis.
Realize that your job is as much to teach the parent/caregiver as it is to work with the client.
Remember: your 1 hour a week won’t create nearly as much change as teaching the parent/caregiver and having them practice 10 times a day!
If possible, find a job where you have a music therapist for a supervisor.
Own your success.
Don’t get stuck in the “what population am I going to work with” mode. You’re working with the person, not the “disability.”
Remember to take care of your body. Stretch. Exercise. Musicians can sustain injuries, too.
Warm-up your voice every morning.
Remember to make time for documentation. It’s a harsh reality
Network, network, network.
Always have business cards handy. Distribute them freely.
Strive to be a resource for people on music therapy.
Speak to every group that invites you, no matter how big or how small.
Remember that first impressions never die.
Take baby steps with the big picture in mind.
Remember the importance of monitoring your own needs.
Be aware of when you need to “fill the emotional/physical tank,” so to speak.
Talk to–and learn from–other professionals.
Listen to the parents/caregivers. They are the true experts.
Remember that every person has valuable input. Even you.
You know more than you think you do. Trust yourself.
Enjoy your passion. Enjoy the ride.

I again want to thank all those who responded on Facebook and Twitter. This would not have been nearly as good a list without you!

Music Therapy in the Mainstream

I’d like to take a minute to share with you a book and a movie that has us music therapists giddy with excitement! On March 1st, Jodi Picoult (you may remember her as the author of My Sister’s Keeper) published a book called Sing You Home. The main character of her new book is a music therapist!

I’m currently on chapter 3 and, I must say, I’m quite impressed! If you’re interested in checking it out yourself, please follow the link on the lefthand sidebar (check out the book cover). There’s also an audio version available on Audible if you–like me–prefer the audio version (and, if I did this right, if you sign up for Audible by click the link below, you can get a free book. Why not make it Sing You Home?)

Try Audible Now and Get A Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 85,000 Titles.

Finally, a movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month called The Music Never Stopped. And…guess what?…one of the main characters is a music therapist! Screenings of the movie are showing in select cities and I believe they’re still accepting RSVPs. I’ll be checking it out in Kansas City next week and will be sure to share with you my thoughts!

Important Lessons from a Deaf Musician

Kimberly — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:05:34 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

My husband introduced me to this TED talk by percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. Glennie–who, incidentally, happens to be deaf–illustrates how “listening” to music involves so much more than using your ears.

I’d like to share this video with you because I feel it contains several relevant and important reminders for us therapists. Aren’t we, too, in the business of listening? Isn’t it our job to try and “read” the behaviors and the symptoms our clients show? To, in essence, read between the lines–noticing the little details like how their bodies move, what they say, and how their faces look? Then use that information to try and focus in on the core of what’s happening for them?

Additionally, Glennie shares her story of how she was treated as a deaf musician–an oxymoron for most people, who only saw her deafness as a “disability.” This, in turn, is a powerful reminder for how we treat our clients. How, in many cases, it’s not our job to “fix” them.

Finally, I’m reminded of the importance of creativity and play. We embrace this so readily as children and tend to lose it so easily as adults. How does creativity play into your own life? And how does that impact your effectiveness as a therapist?

This video rather long (30 min), but worth the time. I’d be very interested in your thoughts and observations, so please leave a comment in the field below!

NOTE: If you can’t see the embedded video, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

Anniversary Giveaway

This month, the Music Therapy Maven celebrates it’s 2 year anniversary! And in honor of the occasion, I’ve decided to give away TWO copies of my Therapy Business Blueprint to loyal Maven readers.

Last week’s winner was newsletter subscriber Jessica Edwards. This week? I’m excited to announce that Sara Devine is this week’s Anniversary Giveaway winner!!!

Thank you to all 21 people who signed up for this giveaway. More importantly, thank YOU for reading this blog! I keep it going because of your support, conversations, and questions and I am grateful for this opportunity. Here’s to the next 12 months!

What is Music Therapy State Recognition?

Kimberly — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:04:21 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

If you watched my video in last week’s post, you heard me throw around phrases like “State Recognition Operational Plan” (SROP) and “music therapy recognition.” But what does that mean exactly?

We’re in the middle of a special series this month all about music therapy advocacy and policy. This week, I’ll give you a brief description of the SROP and a history of how it came about.

But…before I dig in, I want to share links to other music therapy bloggers and podcasters who are joining this special project. Thank you for your support!

Music Therapy Advocacy, The Music Therapy Show with Janice Harris interviewed yours truly and Judy Simpson from AMTA (I don’t think I embarrassed myself TOO much!)
You Want ME To Do Government Relations, by JoAnn Jordan at Music Sparks
Guest Post in Music Therapy and Advocacy by Dena Register, published by Bill Matney at billmatney.com
Music Therapy Advocacy, published by Pamela Ott at Music for Special Kids
Guest Post: Judy Simpson MT-BC and the Government Relations Director for AMTA on Advocacy, published by Sarah Sendlbeck at The Eclectic Guitar

A Brief History of Music Therapy Recognition

It used to be that service professions were regulated at the federal level (and by “regulated”, I mean they were part of a licensure, certification, or registry system). But that began to change during the 1990s and the government recognition of professions started to shift towards the states. Don’t ask me why…as with almost any government process, I’m sure there were many reasons.

Music therapy is a profession that maintains a national board-certification credentialing program. It’s managed by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), which is charged with defining the body of knowledge that represents competent music therapy practice, as well as creating and administering the evaluation and continuing education of music therapists (and, yes, I took that from their website). CBMT has been fully accredited, and in good standing, with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies since 1986.

But I digress…

So music therapy is a national certification profession, but with the change in government policies, professions were beginning to be regulated at the state level. And this started to affect how our clients–and prospective clients–were able to access our services.

What is the State Recognition Operational Plan?

The SROP is a national initiative implemented jointly by CBMT and the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). It was conceived in 2005 as the need for official recognition at the state level became apparent.

The SROP is a collaborative effort between the AMTA Government Relations and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff (I’m part of the latter). Our role is to provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as these groups of music therapists work to obtain state recognition of music therapy and the MT-BC credential. Believe it or not, we have about 30 active state task forces right now!

The SROP involves increasing awareness of what it means to be board-certified. The ultimate goal is that, in all situations, the MT-BC be a minimum requirement for music therapy to be provided. We also hope that music therapy will be included as a service option for our clients–whether it’s written into state agency regulations or determined by creating a state registry or licensing program–thus making it easier for them to access our services.

How Can I Help?

You can be involved in these efforts whether you’re a music therapist or not!

As a music therapist, here are some ideas for getting involved in this process, some with lighter time commitments than others:

Serve on a state task force
Attend your state music therapy meetings (if you have them)
Read and respond to emails from your state task force
Volunteer to help your state task force on projects (tasks will vary)
Initiate contact with your state legislator (sound scary? It’s really not. I’ll talk more about this next week)
View any opportunity to talk about music therapy as a chance to educate others about our profession and our board-certification

But what if you’re not a music therapist, but want to support us in these efforts? The biggest help would be for you to serve as an advocate for music therapy. This could involve giving testimony (say, if legislation is being considered), talking about your experiences to your legislator, or contacting your legislator and asking him/her to support music therapy legislation. If you’re interested in becoming a friend of music therapy, please contact me so I can connect you with the task force members in your state.

Do you have other ideas or questions? Please leave a comment in the boxes below! I always try to answer you

Advocacy 101: An Intro to This Month’s Special Series

Kimberly — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:57:19 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

Watch this video to learn about this month’s special 4-week series:

As mentioned in this video, I’ll be sharing all the blogs and podcasts that are participating in this project. This week includes:

But “Government Relations” Sounds Scary!, by Rachel Rambach at Listen and Learn Music
Research and Advocacy in Music Therapy, listen to Andrew Knight and Dr. Blythe LaGasse, co-hosts of the Music Therapy Research Blog podcast, interview yours truly from CBMT and Barb Else, AMTA’s senior policy and research consultant

How (and Why) to Accelerate Your Personal Development

Kimberly — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:55:27 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

Have you watched some of the previews for that new TLC show “Sister Wives”? Although it’s not my type of show (I’m more into crime dramas and comedies), there’s a certain clip they’ve showed that has stuck in my mind.

In this clip, Kody Brown, the husband in the series, describes his four marriages as “accelerated personal development.”

You know what? I believe it.

This may seem like an odd topic to write about on a music therapy blog, but the thing is, “personal development” is an area of concern for all therapists. It affects our clients and it affects us as clinicians.

I believe that “personal development” will happen for most people naturally. But throughout our lives, we all have opportunities to choose paths that will “accelerate our personal development.”

One of those paths is marriage. Being married (or in a committed, long-term relationship) will challenge you and stretch your range of emotions more than you can imagine.

Another path? Have a child. Better yet, have two children (though I can’t speak for having three or more). If you want to be tested to the absolute in terms of your ability to love, to be angry, to cry, or to be scared, then you bring a child into your life.

But what about those who, as a friend of mine once put it, choose a less “traditional” path? Any time you venture from your “comfort zone” and do something a little scary, a little thrilling, or a little new and different, you are accelerating your personal development.

Try traveling. Try traveling alone. Take a college class. Learn how to paint. Take music lessons. Be in a book club. Present at a conference. Try public speaking. Write a book. Any of these (and there are countless more examples) can help you accelerate your personal development.

And you know what? As therapists, we are often challenging our clients to “accelerate their personal development.” The type of development can vary from challenging emotional processing to overcoming social skill obstacles to working with physical challenges.

There are two points here I feel are important to take away. The first is if we are asking our clients to accelerate their personal development, shouldn’t we be doing so as well? Shouldn’t we be putting ourselves through life experiences that accelerate our personal development?

And finally, often times these types of challenges are scary and maybe even painful (physically or emotionally) for our clients. So as therapists, we may need to allow time and be patient with our clients. Even if a task may seem “easy” to us, it may not be for our clients.

Is It Just Me, Or Does This Really Work?

Kimberly — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:50:00 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

You may recall that, in addition to this blog here, I also blog at Psychology Today–though not nearly as often! This morning I published a story about an experience I had a couple years ago where I was able to use music to calm two boys in an active “fight, flight, or freeze” response. You can read the story here.

Blogging about that experience has gotten me thinking again about something I’ve noticed clinically, but can’t yet describe or explain how it works:

Somehow, music opens up our brain for being able to verbally process emotions and emotionally-charged memories.

I’ve seen it over and over again, mostly in trauma-influenced children who often took months to open up to a trusted therapist or staff member, yet who would start sharing with me within weeks.

(The staff at this treatment center joked that they always knew which days were music therapy days because there would be a significant rise in the number of children who started talking about their trauma–thus, more paperwork for them!)

I’ve noticed this elsewhere, too. I remember facilitating a support group for caregivers. After initial introductions, I sang Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” as part of a lyric analysis experience. When the song ended, one group member tearfully talked about the emotional struggles she had about her sister’s passing the year before and how she was supposed to be the “strong” one in the family and didn’t have anyone to talk to about this. The kicker? It was this woman’s first time in this group.

I don’t know how or why this works, but it is a common occurrence that my music therapy clients seems to open up more readily and easily to me than they might in other situations.

And I don’t think I’m the only one. My music therapy friend Peggy–the same Peggy I mentioned earlier this week–is beginning some co-treatment work with a psychotherapist. Their clients will start the session with Peggy, who will go through several rhythmic-based experiences. Then they head over to the psychotherapist to begin the talk therapy portion of the treatment. The psychotherapist reports that these clients seem to be able to access their feelings and talk about them more readily. Interesting…

So I don’t have any answers in this post–just observations. However, if you’ve experienced something similar (or, better yet, have insight into this), please share it by leaving a comment below.

And just a reminder–you are invited to “attend” the 1st Annual Creative Arts Therapies Teleconference. Listen and learn from a variety of music, art, and dance therapists…from the comfort of your own home! To learn more, click the pretty pink icon below: