The process of observing in a music therapy session: noticing what's going on with the client, with the music, how I'm reacting and responding, and the sorting it all out...this is the process of music therapy.
And Ken Bruscia captures it beautifully:
And Ken Bruscia captures it beautifully:
Once therapist and client enter the therapy room, a steady stream of rich, complex encounters begins, encounters that invariably stretch and challenge the therapist. Flowing in the steady stream are messages and cues from the client for the therapist to process, multiple physical and emotional reactions that the therapist has, and an unending current of thoughts and questions to ponder, relevant and irrelevant, lucid and fragmented.
One of the most difficult things for new music therapists (in my opinion) is learning how and what to pay attention to in music therapy sessions.
Someday, when I get myself organized enough to write an article about this topic, I'm starting it with this quote.
Reference
Bruscia, K. E. (1998). “Techniques for Uncovering and Working with Countertransference” (pp. 93-119) in Bruscia, K.E. (ed.) Dynamics of Music Psychotherapy. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.
Someday, when I get myself organized enough to write an article about this topic, I'm starting it with this quote.
Reference
Bruscia, K. E. (1998). “Techniques for Uncovering and Working with Countertransference” (pp. 93-119) in Bruscia, K.E. (ed.) Dynamics of Music Psychotherapy. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.
1 comment:
Sometimes it all happens so quickly that it is difficult to keep abreast of things. I am continually on the look-out for moments of pure connection through music, which are notoriously difficult to define. Recently I have take to recording my sessions on a digital recorder I got from eBay, and then listening to them whilst writing up the session on my blog or elsewhere. This is very time-consuming but very satisfying to do. Occasionally I wish I could take recorded images as well, because so much is conveyed by the context of the scene, and by my client's facial expressions.
I greatly look forward to reading whatever you write on the topic. I feel very hungry for this kind of information!
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