Happy March everyone!
This month I wanted to chat about person-centered music therapy and being centered within yourself. I always thought that it made sense to focus on the client, to base sessions off of their needs, but now I am learning HOW to do that and what it really means. Like most things, it makes sense in theory but is more difficult in practice. My role as a music therapist is to give support using music. However, that may have different looks, from providing a safe space for emotional expression, to using singing to improve communication skills, to just jamming and being in that musical space together. The differences between passive and active engagement and how both are beneficial. Knowing how to use music to provide structure for an individual and how that structure will serve different purposes for different clients.
Now, being able to provide that person-centered therapy is crucial, and that comes with knowing myself, my needs, and what works best for me. I have always prided myself in being a very independent person, but until now did not realize how much being around people benefited me. I went from having a lot of fellow students, friends and family, and teachers around me to living alone and having a lot of time to fend for myself, to be left to my own thoughts. Now, some of that is because of this lovely pandemic, and thank goodness for technology that allows us to connect to everyone and to allow telehealth. The other part of that is me being in a place where yes, I do actually have to figure things out on my own in order to grow and solidify knowledge. I am learning to not be too hard on myself, to not allow mistakes and thoughts build up in my mind until they hinder my progress. I am here to learn. However, sometimes I do need to hold myself responsible and say hey, this needs to be better. Learning that balance within my work and within myself is so important because it allows me to turn all of my focus to my clients.
Enjoy the rest of March, spring is almost upon us!
-Leah Young, MTI
