Back In the Saddle Again...

I returned to doing therapy with some of my groups yesterday. I sat down in the therapist place in the room and facilitated group music therapy for about 17 kids. I did one session in the music therapy room and another in a classroom. I was able to musically escort one group of students from the music therapy room to the art therapy room (as I was going to the classroom group) - something I haven't been able to do for a very long time - musically supporting transitions. I sang songs that I haven't used for a long time - TMEs that I developed as an intern and as a young professional - that still work the way they were originally conceived. Only two students all day had difficulties - one pretty intense, the other very mild. I observed the other three groups from a position that is a bit removed from the happenings - it is time to start giving my intern some space - literally and metaphorically. Again, I am heading back into the music therapy clinic as clinician rather than full-time observer today. I am happy about this. I love being a music therapist, so not being the group leader is something that challenges me...all the time.

I've fallen a bit out of practice in the entire "music therapy session strategizing" process, so I am now trying to find my way back into my way of doing things. I usually write down some ideas, gather some materials, and then end up changing my ideas during the session itself. In the morning group, we spent much of our time exploring the novelty instruments. These instruments are ones that are unique, difficult to play, or made of plastic. I don't have enough of any one of them to have everyone play one of the same thing, but I do have enough instruments that everyone can play something. They don't come out often, but I needed some group cohesion TMEs to get clients used to the idea of me sitting in front of the group again. So, we played instruments. For the second group (the in-classroom group), I was going to lug my instruments down again, but I changed my mind at the last minute, so I went down with a guitar and my emotion binder. That's it. We sang about feelings, and we demonstrated feelings with our faces. We also sang about our opinions and used our communication skills to indicate our answers to yes/no questions. I used a song that a practicum student composed many years ago - something that has become part of my repertoire as so many songs have over the years.

Today, the groups that I have are completely different from the groups I had yesterday. I will need some different strategies to accomplish the same types of goals - that of group cohesion and expression. I'm not sure what will happen, but I know that I will come up with something.

This morning's routine will include doing session documentation for my two groups and individuals, starting my session strategy for today and tomorrow, putting things in my office away (I made a good start the day before break, but I also have more to do), and getting ready for an intern interview. I will be doing a couple of extra sessions this week because my intern has to finish up her training, so I need to strategize those sessions as well. After I finish those things, I have an individual session to facilitate, two group sessions to observe, and then my own session to lead. Then, it is time for lunch. After lunch, I observe one session and then I lead the last session of the day. I'll sweep the floor and then I will get ready to go home for the day. I may have a presentation to give on Wednesday (I'm not sure as the person who arranges the presentation schedule seems to change it whenever she feels like it, so I am not sure if the original date is still mine or not...) that I need to prepare. Lots of things to do and lots of time to do those things.

It's time to get going with my morning routine. Time to head out into the spring weather to do my job...that of music therapist.