Dear AMTA

Anticipation...

Today is the first day of the Fall session of school. I think I am ready for most of what will happen today, including some routine things and some brand-new experiences for myself and my students. We will see.

One of the new things that I want to do with my first big group today is a shift from the regular turn-taking opening intervention. This group of students does not "group" well. Several of the students do not feel comfortable sitting in the group's traditional circle, so they end up scattered around the room in no particular pattern. This goes against my need for organization, but I would rather be a bit needy and have them feel comfortable in the session than insist that they conform to my needs - after all, who is the therapist and who is client in this situation?? I am going to put the guitar down and use a drum for interaction. I hope that we will have a time of rhythm improvisation during the opening portion of the session, but we will see. After that, I have no plans for our interactions.

Over the years, I have used session planning on varying levels. I strive to be client-directed and try to teach that skill to my interns as well. It is important that the therapist not insist on his/her agenda to the exclusion of the wants, needs, wishes of the client. As an undergraduate in music therapy, I used to write detailed session plans that ended up being treated as scripts. I had a music therapy supervisor who would sit in the observation room and check off when I completed portions of the plan. If I varied my plan in ANY way, she would ask me to justify the changes. I often could do so. For example, I was working with preschoolers who had been labeled as "at-risk" for behavior disorders and would often rearrange the elements of my session to accommodate their behavior states. Three year-olds do not often fall into the nice plan that their therapists arrange. I think the result was better therapy and was allowed to continue in that mode as long as I could explain my rationale.

These days, we seem to turn out music therapy interns that can write a session plan but cannot deviate from that plan easily. As soon as clients go towards another thought or experience, novice interns are stuck trying to guide the clients back to "the plan." Accepting this a part of their developmental process, I allow this security blanket for a short portion of time, but soon challenge them to become more "strategy-focused" as a way to reaching my end goal of "client-focused" therapists. We start the thinking process by writing down Therapeutic Music Experiences - as many as possible, with a minimum of 75 at the end of the first four months. We parse those experiences for possible goals, materials, instruments, musical outcomes, therapeutic outcomes, and processes. We discuss how the experience will change if musical elements are changed. We make targeted observation goals for the intern to watch me during sessions and for me to observe in the intern. We break the script habit at about month 4 for good.

My planning is often just one focus experience that I use with all of my groups. I may decide that this week is an Orff instrument week. Every group will use the Orff instruments in some way. This allows me to have some structure, but also allows me to use music in a therapeutic manner, by changing the musical structure to accommodate differences in clients' behavior states. I try to think of all the materials that I need to get out before the session begins, but don't restrict myself to only the things that are out if clients need something different. I try to anticipate what will be needed, but don't always hit the mark.

As I get dressed for the first day of a new school year, I am anticipating the promise of a new start on this 19th year of professional practice. I am thrilled by the opportunity to be a therapist (not just a supervisor) for the first half of the year, and I am looking forward to my next intern who will arrive in January. I anticipate that this year will be one of challenges, joys, despairs, and laughter. I am ready.

Anticipation fills me as I walk out the door.

Happy New Year, everyone!!