New Inspirations
One of my music therapy "friends" (in quotes because I have never actually met her, but have read her blog and conversed with her in several different social media formats over the years), Roia Rafieyan, just posted a link to a blog that she reads. I checked out the blog, What a Shrink Thinks, and found that it resonated with me as well. Thank you, Roia, for sharing this valuable resource!
Here is a link to a post that I found especially relevant and interesting: http://whatashrinkthinks.com/2013/03/04/keeping-secrets/
This post talks about the fine line that therapists have when being a secret keeper and it acknowledges that the secret keeper has to be able to analyze and set down the secret in order to function. The author, Martha Crawford, speaks frankly about her need to blog in order to assist herself in processing what she experiences as a psychotherapist. She is very clear that she does not blog to ask for help with client issues and remains in the ethical and confidential relationship that she holds with each client. She seems to use her forum to discuss personal responses and thoughts, often enfolding therapeutic situations into her discussion, but not focusing on how to treat clients.
I like this.
Over the years, I have found that this blog has been important for my own processing of my life and the events in my life. The title of this blog, music, therapy, and me, was chosen purposefully to indicate that this is a personal blog, centered around my own thoughts about music therapy, but a place for me to be me - not just music therapist, but a human being, a woman, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and whatever other role I play in the lives of myself and others.
This blog is not designed to offer ideas or therapeutic music experiences for music therapists. I rely on my website to do that task for me. This blog is my reflective journal - sorta. (I've been looking up lots of resources for reflective journaling lately - fascinating topic and one that I am going to try with my next intern, #21, who starts in August.) It is a place where I can rant, rave, celebrate, process, and develop my ideas and feelings about being a music therapist, about music, about therapy, and about me. I figure that readers will take it or leave it - finding the things that interest them and then ignoring the posts that do not interest them - just as I do when I am reading the work of others.
Wow - that was a bit of a tangent.
Back to topic.
New Inspirations. As I discussed in a previous post,The Library, I am trying to read over the music therapy resources that I have collected over the years. I have completed just two days of reading, but already feel that my understanding of music therapy is evolving.
Seek inspiration where you can find it. Thank you, Roia and Martha and others, for being part of my inspiration and therapy journey.
Here is a link to a post that I found especially relevant and interesting: http://whatashrinkthinks.com/2013/03/04/keeping-secrets/
This post talks about the fine line that therapists have when being a secret keeper and it acknowledges that the secret keeper has to be able to analyze and set down the secret in order to function. The author, Martha Crawford, speaks frankly about her need to blog in order to assist herself in processing what she experiences as a psychotherapist. She is very clear that she does not blog to ask for help with client issues and remains in the ethical and confidential relationship that she holds with each client. She seems to use her forum to discuss personal responses and thoughts, often enfolding therapeutic situations into her discussion, but not focusing on how to treat clients.
I like this.
Over the years, I have found that this blog has been important for my own processing of my life and the events in my life. The title of this blog, music, therapy, and me, was chosen purposefully to indicate that this is a personal blog, centered around my own thoughts about music therapy, but a place for me to be me - not just music therapist, but a human being, a woman, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and whatever other role I play in the lives of myself and others.
This blog is not designed to offer ideas or therapeutic music experiences for music therapists. I rely on my website to do that task for me. This blog is my reflective journal - sorta. (I've been looking up lots of resources for reflective journaling lately - fascinating topic and one that I am going to try with my next intern, #21, who starts in August.) It is a place where I can rant, rave, celebrate, process, and develop my ideas and feelings about being a music therapist, about music, about therapy, and about me. I figure that readers will take it or leave it - finding the things that interest them and then ignoring the posts that do not interest them - just as I do when I am reading the work of others.
Wow - that was a bit of a tangent.
Back to topic.
New Inspirations. As I discussed in a previous post,The Library, I am trying to read over the music therapy resources that I have collected over the years. I have completed just two days of reading, but already feel that my understanding of music therapy is evolving.
Seek inspiration where you can find it. Thank you, Roia and Martha and others, for being part of my inspiration and therapy journey.
My pleasure, MJ. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about Martha's blog. It's really wonderfully written. I'm also a big fan of reflecting/journaling as part of our work. It certainly helps in terms of looking at countertransference reactions (ahem!). I also think having interns begin to process their experiences is an excellent idea. I'll keep an eye out for your eventual blogpost on how that goes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roia, for your blog, comments about being a music therapist, the frank way you discuss things that are occasionally "taboo," and continued inspiration for me!
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