Talking About Therapeutic Music Experiences
This week, I had a conversation with my current intern about Therapeutic Music Experiences (TMEs). We were going over the different parts of my required paperwork including how to write procedures and goals.
The question I get all the time is, "how do you think up ideas for sessions?" My answer is, "I play around and write everything down as soon as I can." A simple answer for a complex question. I guess not everyone is able to brainstorm therapeutic uses for materials and instruments.
I blame my mother.
My mom, an Occupational Therapist, is an extremely creative person. She sees possibilities every where. She looks at Lunchable trays and can come up with 101 ways to use them in her therapy practice. She taught all three of us to do the same thing.
I led my intern through a decision tree that started with an instrument. She and I brainstormed all of the sensory information that we get from the instrument. We talked about what the instrument looked like, sounded like, felt like, and how we played the instrument. This led to a list of goal areas that we could use during therapy.
Then we started to improvise a song about the instrument. We started by talking about what we usually did with the spoons (the instrument of choice), and then I asked her what we didn't usually do with spoons. That seemed to be a difficult concept, but we eventually started to brainstorm. That led to more goal identification and almost an entire TME plan.
I use my TME plan to help me organize my thoughts and ideas into fully-imaged music therapy interventions.The plan includes places to write down lots of information about the experience itself so anyone can use the experience later on. I write down the goals and objectives that I see, the original source of the music, and where group members or clients need to be during the experience. Then the plan includes music and a procedure for running the TME including cues and prompts, assessment information, and opportunities for reinforcement. All of this information helps me to organize the reasons why I do what I do with my clients. It also helps me figure out how to explain what I do as a music therapist that makes me different from any other musician who comes into my facility.
I think that this idea of identifying what makes music therapists unique in their use of music with clients is something that we don't do very well. That is why we have such a difficult time convincing people in charge that we are worth the extra money and the extra time.
This is something that I've been contemplating for a very long time. I am astounded how little we therapists actually can talk about our medium. How, exactly, does music work to affect therapeutic change? It is the recognition of the elements of music and our manipulation of the elements that makes us effective.
Therapists who understand how to use the elements of music are good therapists. Therapists who do not, are not.
For me, it comes down to that statement. If you do not know how to use your medium to affect the changes that your client needs, you are not a therapist.
I am starting a webinar series for folks who are interested in learning more about these elements of music. Check out the website at http://www.musictherapyworks.com/webinarsandcourses.html for information on how to register and attend.
The question I get all the time is, "how do you think up ideas for sessions?" My answer is, "I play around and write everything down as soon as I can." A simple answer for a complex question. I guess not everyone is able to brainstorm therapeutic uses for materials and instruments.
I blame my mother.
My mom, an Occupational Therapist, is an extremely creative person. She sees possibilities every where. She looks at Lunchable trays and can come up with 101 ways to use them in her therapy practice. She taught all three of us to do the same thing.
I led my intern through a decision tree that started with an instrument. She and I brainstormed all of the sensory information that we get from the instrument. We talked about what the instrument looked like, sounded like, felt like, and how we played the instrument. This led to a list of goal areas that we could use during therapy.
Then we started to improvise a song about the instrument. We started by talking about what we usually did with the spoons (the instrument of choice), and then I asked her what we didn't usually do with spoons. That seemed to be a difficult concept, but we eventually started to brainstorm. That led to more goal identification and almost an entire TME plan.
I use my TME plan to help me organize my thoughts and ideas into fully-imaged music therapy interventions.The plan includes places to write down lots of information about the experience itself so anyone can use the experience later on. I write down the goals and objectives that I see, the original source of the music, and where group members or clients need to be during the experience. Then the plan includes music and a procedure for running the TME including cues and prompts, assessment information, and opportunities for reinforcement. All of this information helps me to organize the reasons why I do what I do with my clients. It also helps me figure out how to explain what I do as a music therapist that makes me different from any other musician who comes into my facility.
I think that this idea of identifying what makes music therapists unique in their use of music with clients is something that we don't do very well. That is why we have such a difficult time convincing people in charge that we are worth the extra money and the extra time.
This is something that I've been contemplating for a very long time. I am astounded how little we therapists actually can talk about our medium. How, exactly, does music work to affect therapeutic change? It is the recognition of the elements of music and our manipulation of the elements that makes us effective.
Therapists who understand how to use the elements of music are good therapists. Therapists who do not, are not.
For me, it comes down to that statement. If you do not know how to use your medium to affect the changes that your client needs, you are not a therapist.
I am starting a webinar series for folks who are interested in learning more about these elements of music. Check out the website at http://www.musictherapyworks.com/webinarsandcourses.html for information on how to register and attend.
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