The Best Thing About Music Therapy
What is the best thing about music therapy?
For me, one of the best things about music therapy is that moment when one of my kids looks at me and asks, "Do I have music with you today??"
I love that moment. I love that my students look forward to music therapy during the week. They want to be in music therapy. They want to see what we are going to do. They want to work on their therapeutic goals using music. They want to make music.
The best thing about music therapy, bar none, is the client.
I often talk to my interns about "the therapeutic triad." The triad is made up of a client, a therapist, and music. Of all of these things, the client is always most important. Without a client, there cannot be music therapy. Simple thought, right?
Right.
I have been trying to figure out a good visual for this therapeutic triad concept. All I can really think of at this time is a Venn Diagram - three overlapping circles that overlap in several places. This picture helps me sort out what is and what isn't music therapy.
In the place where all three circles overlap is where music therapy actually occurs.
The interaction between therapist and client is a form of therapy - both parties are focused on the relationship and the therapeutic goal of the client, but not in a musical format. Without music, the interaction is not music therapy.
The area where the client and the music circles overlap is the place where the therapist has faded his or her interaction with the client in favor of client independence and function. This is the place when the therapist realizes that the client is able to complete his or her therapeutic goal reaching the end of the need for therapy. When the therapist is no longer necessary, it is time to reevaluate whether the client needs music therapy. Sometimes it is easy to determine that music therapy is no longer needed, sometimes it is not. So, as a result, the therapist and the client head back into a time of assessment and evaluation to see if there are new goals.
The last area of overlap, that of the therapist and the music, is the place where the therapist interacts with the music itself, for personal and performance purposes. I know very few music therapists that do not listen to or make music on their own for the purposes of practice, relaxation, enjoyment, or for other reasons.
In all of these interactions, the best part about being a music therapist is interacting with clients within musical environments and experiences. I love being invited into musical interactions with my kids. So, I am looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow to interact with my students in their music therapy sessions.
The best thing about music therapy??
For me, one of the best things about music therapy is that moment when one of my kids looks at me and asks, "Do I have music with you today??"
I love that moment. I love that my students look forward to music therapy during the week. They want to be in music therapy. They want to see what we are going to do. They want to work on their therapeutic goals using music. They want to make music.
The best thing about music therapy, bar none, is the client.
I often talk to my interns about "the therapeutic triad." The triad is made up of a client, a therapist, and music. Of all of these things, the client is always most important. Without a client, there cannot be music therapy. Simple thought, right?
Right.
I have been trying to figure out a good visual for this therapeutic triad concept. All I can really think of at this time is a Venn Diagram - three overlapping circles that overlap in several places. This picture helps me sort out what is and what isn't music therapy.
In the place where all three circles overlap is where music therapy actually occurs.
The interaction between therapist and client is a form of therapy - both parties are focused on the relationship and the therapeutic goal of the client, but not in a musical format. Without music, the interaction is not music therapy.
The area where the client and the music circles overlap is the place where the therapist has faded his or her interaction with the client in favor of client independence and function. This is the place when the therapist realizes that the client is able to complete his or her therapeutic goal reaching the end of the need for therapy. When the therapist is no longer necessary, it is time to reevaluate whether the client needs music therapy. Sometimes it is easy to determine that music therapy is no longer needed, sometimes it is not. So, as a result, the therapist and the client head back into a time of assessment and evaluation to see if there are new goals.
The last area of overlap, that of the therapist and the music, is the place where the therapist interacts with the music itself, for personal and performance purposes. I know very few music therapists that do not listen to or make music on their own for the purposes of practice, relaxation, enjoyment, or for other reasons.
In all of these interactions, the best part about being a music therapist is interacting with clients within musical environments and experiences. I love being invited into musical interactions with my kids. So, I am looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow to interact with my students in their music therapy sessions.
The best thing about music therapy??
Just read this, LOVE the venn diagram image!!
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