The Promise of the New Week

It is early on Monday morning, and I am wondering what the week will bring. It is the first entire work week after two unnatural weeks - the AMTA conference week followed by a 3.5-day work week. It has been a long time since I have been in my music therapy clinic to see all of my clients. I am approaching this week the way I approach most weeks - with an open mind and limited plans.

I enjoy the thought of a wide-open week.

What music will we make this week? How will I get my clients towards their therapeutic goals? Who will challenge me? Who will I challenge? What paths will we take to get where we want to go? Oh, the questions are never ending!

When I was a novice therapist, I functioned the way I had been taught to function. I designed session plans and followed those plans as much as possible. (Now, in the interest of complete honesty, I never really thought of those plans as scripts - I was able to go off-script if clients needed it, even as a student music therapist!) I felt that it was important to have a plan and a prediction of how the session should progress.

Then, I learned to be more client-directed.

I think I often frustrate my interns when I tell them to stop designing plans for their sessions. I often find that my interns are unfamiliar with the idea of taking cues from the clients in front of them. They are more comfortable with the way we were all taught to proceed - make a plan and everyone will follow the plan! Ah, if that were only true.

Never be surprised when a client shows limited to no interest in what you have planned. I can't tell you how many times I have walked into a session with my plan prepared and the client doesn't seem to engage in anything I wanted to do. It happens quite often, even now!

What do I do then? I go back to the beginning and start again. My client is always the starting point. I start to ask myself some questions:
  • What does the client want to do?
  • What is the client's therapeutic goal/objective?
  • How can I use what the client wants to do to get him/her to his/her goals/objectives?
Getting answers to these questions helps me to be a flexible therapist.
I am heading into this week without a plan. I think I may bring out the Orff instruments to do some emotion improvisations or maybe some communication improvisations. I wonder if it will work with my clients. I don't know, but I will try. I have several new clients this week, and lots of groups that will be saying goodbye to my current intern (soon to be professional). I will be heading into this week with an open mind and enthusiasm.

I love the promise of a new week!

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