Music Therapist Seeking Knowledge: Please Advise

I just finished an introductory overview course on a technique that I have heard about but never really examined closely. The course itself offered information that was good but it was not exactly what I wanted to learn. That's okay and happens quite often to me these days with presentations and coursework and all that. I think some of the problem is that I am not sure what I want to learn about this profession. All I know is that I am still seeking greater knowledge and wisdom about music as a therapeutic medium for my clients.

I am reading a bit. My hope for reading daily has been shattered for another month since I didn't read yesterday. I will not be reading much today since I have to leave for OT before I can get into my late afternoon time which is the time I've set aside for reading. Oh well. This fact doesn't mean that I stop - it just means that I have to focus on the goal a bit more.

I FINALLY finished the second chapter of my current book. It has taken me SOOOO long to get through that chapter. The third chapter should be a bit easier to read as it is not about psychodynamic theory but is about typical music therapy methods. The information seems to be a bit more concrete and a bit less abstract, so I should be able to read the chapter faster. We shall see. 

This weekend is the Online Conference for Music Therapy (tickets are going fast, by the way - register here), so I am going to be listening to lots of music therapists talking about what they do and what they believe about music therapy. This event is always an interesting time that challenges my thoughts about what music therapy is and could be for me.

I find glimpses into other people's journeys into and through music therapy absolutely fascinating. I have always wanted to know what other people do in situations similar to my own, but I rarely get a glimpse into the lives and client interactions of other music therapists. So, I crave this type of interaction with others.

I'm not sure what I am seeking, but I know there is something out there that can help me figure this all out.

I guess I need to start with the things that I actually know about music and therapy and music therapy. I have training in Neurological Music Therapy, in Sensory Integration, in Behavioral Music Therapy, and in DIR/Floortime. I have read lots and lots about other forms of Music Therapy - psychoanalytic, community, transpersonal, Nordoff-Robbins, music-centered. I have working knowledge of these ideas, but I have not enough information to practice within those types of theories or techniques. I have taken my training, my experiences, my reading, and my constant quest for more information and melded it into "MY WAY OF DOING THINGS IN MY CLINIC." Is this a method that I have just come up with - do you want to know more??

So, it is time to get back into the reading process - trying to learn and understand what is going on in the minds of other music therapists who identify with other ways of practicing this thing called music therapy. See you later!

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