Balance in Everything

This can be a challenge...finding the balance in all things. I find myself constantly shifting from one side of life to the other. Overemphasis on work leads to neglect of the schoolwork. Focusing on the schoolwork often leads to neglect of the personal life. It is difficult to find the perfect balance.

This week has been Holy Week in the Christian calendar. As a church choir director as well as a music therapist, my life has been tipping towards work more than anything else this week. I am trying to find the balance rather than getting focused on the lack of time that is available.

My focus for Lent this year has been to try to find the silver linings in all situations, especially those that hurt my feelings or make me VERY cranky normally. The amount of cognitive retraining that this effort has taken recently has been enormous. I have found that my attitude, my outlook, my relationships with others have greatly improved during the past 40 days. I have also been able to find some balance between work and home - schoolwork, however, is a different story.

Balance in a music therapy session requires several things from the therapist. The first thing is an open attitude towards the client. I have to be able to accept my client at face value - his mood, his attitude towards me, his attitude towards the music, and his attempts to direct the pattern of therapy. At the same time, the therapist also has to remember that she is the professional in the relationship. The client may not direct all of the interactions in the music therapy session - otherwise, there would not be a therapeutic benefit to the session. The therapist must determine how to engage the client's interest while making all interactions make the client progress towards his goals.

Balance is important when planning a session as well. Too much sitting leads to nervous clients. Too much movement leads to cranky clients. There has to be a balance in type and form of session events and experiences to assist clients in moving towards their goals.

My new buzzword is "balance."

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