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Being honest with yourself seems to be the best indicator of professional ethics.  I have found that documentation keeps me accountable for what I see in sessions, and shows me how to translate the data into a short excerpt for parents to hear after sessions.

When I go home at the end of the day, refraining from revealing the identity of clients has been the most prominent ethical procedure throughout internship.  I see so many unique clients of all ages, and I am always excited about telling my family and friends about them.  The experience is rich and vivid, but I have to make sure that I don’t give it all away.  I consciously make sure I do not use names, and I keep information I have gathered about clients’ lives outside of sessions between myself and the clients.

– Hilary White

Music therapy lends itself to constant creativity in the work place.  I enjoy designing sessions that reach neurologic music therapy goals in fun and creative ways.  I especially enjoy using my saxophone for name that tune exercises, and rhythm imitations.  Some tunes I have had fun adapting for large groups are, “In the Mood” and “It Don’t Mean A Thing.”  For me, I know I have witnessed a successful creative moment when the music drives the reactions of my clients. There is not much work to be done explaining interventions once a musical rhythm or melody triggers and activates the brain to respond accordingly.  For instance, some rhythms lend themselves to dancing or moving right away.  Other tunes use melody to immediately grab listeners’ attention to hum or sing along.

As a music therapist, it is always the intent to get reactions out of clients in a creative manner.  Here is an article giving insight to the brain’s role when listening to music.  Many famous musicians speak about their personal experiences with emotions triggered by music.  In the end, all music is a creative approach towards activating our brains.

–  Hilary White

Each day I strive for happiness, and I have been wondering how perception plays into the equation.  Some of my clients can hardly verbalize their thoughts, but can keep a smile on their faces.  They must be perceiving their situation differently than others.  What makes us happy? I think it is how we perceive our own situations.  Dan Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist shares an interesting study on the science of happiness.  I am curious how the study would play out with people with special needs.

Resistance defined: fighting, opposition

  • Synonyms: battle, blocking, check, combat, contention, counteraction, cover, defiance, detention, fight, friction, halting, hindrance, holding, impedance, impeding, intransigence, obstruction, parrying, protecting, protection, rebuff, refusal, retardation, safeguard, screen, shield, stand, striking back, struggle, support, warding off, watch, withstanding

Resistance is a common occurrence in music therapy sessions. What happens, and how do music therapists deal with it?  For one example, resistance may be seen and heard while playing musical instruments. As I observed one therapist last week, the trumpet was used in a few sessions for children with autism.  The trumpet is used to increase oral motor function, and pushing through the resistance to make a sound is very fulfilling for each client. In other cases, resistance is seen in clients when transitioning between sitting in the waiting room and starting a music therapy session. The change in environment may be tough for some, and others may be resisting therapeutic work. Many times therapists will need to regulate a client’s body first before diving into more demanding work. Bilateral drumming while moving around the room with paddle drums has been proven effective for breaking down clients’ resistance levels.