Planning for the Day
Well, it is time to get ready for the week.
I am moving into the music therapy room with absolutely no plans for what to do with my clients. I have five groups to work with (one brand new) and two individual clients for the day.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do have some guidelines to work with. I do have treatment goals and objectives that provide me with some boundaries for treatment, but the actual process of what I will do from opening to closing is somewhat undefined at this time.
I prefer to work this way. I was taught to write detailed session plans during my practicum experiences. One of my supervisors would sit behind the one-way mirror and check off what I did during my sessions. If I changed something, she would challenge me about my changes. Since I was working with at-risk preschoolers at the time, I found that my carefully detailed plans did not always lead to the most appropriate session. So, I changed the plan.
One of the most important things that I have found during my sessions over the years is that I have to enter every session with an idea of what I want to accomplish with my clients. That idea rarely comes to fruition exactly as planned during the session, but that is fine.
When I plan for a session, I am taking into account only two parts of the therapeutic triad - the therapist and the music. I am not taking into account the most important part of the triad - the client.
The client is the most important part of the music therapy session. Without the client, there will be no therapy. Therefore, when I go into a session with a set plan, I am not taking into account that the client has unique ideas and talents to contribute. Therefore, I have to adapt my plan to each person who enters the therapeutic relationship.
So, I am off to work and getting ready to design my group sessions. Here is the plan - choose a song for the Holiday Sing. There you go! Other than that, my session plan is wide open. We will sing a bit, move a bit, think a bit, and learn a bit. Enjoy your day!
I am moving into the music therapy room with absolutely no plans for what to do with my clients. I have five groups to work with (one brand new) and two individual clients for the day.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do have some guidelines to work with. I do have treatment goals and objectives that provide me with some boundaries for treatment, but the actual process of what I will do from opening to closing is somewhat undefined at this time.
I prefer to work this way. I was taught to write detailed session plans during my practicum experiences. One of my supervisors would sit behind the one-way mirror and check off what I did during my sessions. If I changed something, she would challenge me about my changes. Since I was working with at-risk preschoolers at the time, I found that my carefully detailed plans did not always lead to the most appropriate session. So, I changed the plan.
One of the most important things that I have found during my sessions over the years is that I have to enter every session with an idea of what I want to accomplish with my clients. That idea rarely comes to fruition exactly as planned during the session, but that is fine.
When I plan for a session, I am taking into account only two parts of the therapeutic triad - the therapist and the music. I am not taking into account the most important part of the triad - the client.
The client is the most important part of the music therapy session. Without the client, there will be no therapy. Therefore, when I go into a session with a set plan, I am not taking into account that the client has unique ideas and talents to contribute. Therefore, I have to adapt my plan to each person who enters the therapeutic relationship.
So, I am off to work and getting ready to design my group sessions. Here is the plan - choose a song for the Holiday Sing. There you go! Other than that, my session plan is wide open. We will sing a bit, move a bit, think a bit, and learn a bit. Enjoy your day!
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