4 Foolproof Tips for Music Therapy Session Planning

As many of us school-based therapists are heading back to full-time music therapy schedules, I find myself thinking about planning sessions and how to go about that task in a way that is efficient, easy, and not as time-consuming as it is right now.

Here are some tips that I've found to be helpful in my session planning routine. What would you add to the list??

1. Collect ideas in a central location. I have a list of therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) that I started way back when I was an undergraduate, and I keep on adding to that idea bank. I have ideas listed in a database on my TME jump drive. Every time I write a new TME, I put it on the central drive and update the database. When I need a new idea (or just want some inspiration for something that I haven't done 1,000,000 times in the past month, I go to the file.
2. View session planning as strategy development - not script writing. I can plan all sorts of things for my music therapy sessions, but if the client is not interested in what I have planned, therapy will not be as effective as if the client is vested in the experience. I always have lists of things that we can do to address specific goals. For example, if the goal is increasing hand strength, I have a list of TMEs that provide opportunities for squeezing, grasping, releasing, and working those hands. If option A is not interesting to the client, option B may be. This helps me be goal-focused rather than song-focused. (My opinion is that the song is not as important as how you use the music...)
3. Simplify the materials that you use. If one session strategy calls for using drums, I make all sessions in that same week drum-centered. That way, I only haul around materials that I will actually use. By focusing on one set of materials, it leads me into brainstorming about how each one of my clients can progress towards his or her goals using that particular material. All of a sudden, I have the challenge of making a conga drum something to address language fluency, letter recognition, impulse control, social interaction, communication of wants/needs, emotional awareness, and all sorts of other goal areas. All of my ideas go into my TME file and into my session strategy lists (see #1 and #2 above!!).
4. Don't be afraid to go completely off plan. During the session, my clients often seem to want something other than what I want. During individual sessions, I ask my clients to choose how they want to interact within the music. Then, I shape the therapy to their requests. There are times when I want to use drums, but my client has no interest in the drums. The client wants to play the guitar. It is my job to then change my plan to accommodate the wants and requests of the client while still working towards the therapeutic goal of the session.

What tips would you add to this post? What habits do you find that help you figure out the session plans that you generate during your treatment implementation?