The Holiday Tour de Blogs

Since it's "The Holidays" and all, I figured I'd take a break from actual thinking and reflection about work to read about some other people's ideas and thoughts.  

Here are two I particularly liked:

1)  I was over reading Zen Habits, Leo Babauta's blog, and I thought this particular entry about "The Six Greatest Gifts You Can Give Your Loved Ones" had some very useful advice for music therapists as well.  I particularly liked #4, which was about giving your loved ones "a voice". He notes:

Too often our children or spouse might talk to us but are only met with a disinterested nod or other small acknowledgment, or we’ll make light or fun of what they say, as if it’s not important. But giving a person a voice, and showing that their words matter, will have a long-lasting different in their lives.

If we substitute "our clients" for "our children or spouse," and we acknowledge that people who don't use speech still have things to say and are making an effort to be heard, then I think this could just as easily be directed to those of us who work in institutions.

2)  Here's another interesting blog I happened upon today.  Ryan Howes has been interviewing well-known psychotherapists, using the same seven questions for each, and today he interviewed Glen O. Gabbard (someone whose work I have read and appreciated a great deal).  

Here's a particularly nice thing he said about what he likes about doing this work:

Therapists are paid to talk to interesting people all day. In this regard, we are in a privileged profession. The pleasures are many: connecting with someone at a profound level of intimacy that is rare in other situations, learning about other cultural and psychological perspectives on matters of great importance to the human condition, and helping others enrich their lives and make changes for the better.

Nice stuff out there to read while you're taking a break from celebratory adventures.