Music Therapy Musings

I have been thinking about the founding belief on which I base my work with older adults on. That is that age has nothing to do with worth and societal contributions.

I came across this video and while this older couple does not suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia, it was a nice reminder that older adults can still provide much to an ailing society.

Looking back on past blog posts I see that it has been over a month since I last posted. The reason for this delay is that I have been away on vacation. My family and I have spent the last 19 days on the road seeing the country. We drove out West and back and it was just what my soul needed.

I am simply amazed at the amount of beauty this world has to offer if you only take the time to look. Many of the places on our trip I had visited before many years ago and some of what we saw was completely new. Yet new or familiar I saw it all with new eyes and a deep appreciation for what each place had to offer. I am particularly drawn to the mountains and truly enjoyed seeing Mt. Hood and the Three Sisters mountain range in OR as well as the Grand Tetons in WY. I think I could have spent months in the mountains and never tired of them.

As I return from this glorious trip and begin to get back into the swing of my practice I realize that I, too, will look at my work and my clients with those same new eyes. My clients bring something wonderful and new to our work each time we are together. Rather than pre-suppose who they are or how they will behave in our sessions, I will now look upon them with anticipating eyes: How will they be today? What will they share with me? How will our work evolve?

This way of thinking about my work and my clients is exciting for each day really will bring something new if I only take the time to really be with them and look.

What about you? What will your day bring? What will those in your life share? What gems can you discover each and every day if you simply take the time to look?

It is with great excitement that I announce the completion and publication of my new E-book for creative arts therapists: Prelude to Coda: Building a Successful Creative Arts Therapy Practice.

Prelude to Coda is a workbook and guide that gives you step-by-step advice to become a “therapist entrepreneur.” Using examples from my personal experience as I developed my own successful practice, you simply follow the steps to create your own structured plan. It gives you all the details you’ll need for starting and growing a successful private practice – no matter your area of therapy expertise.

Here’s a sneak peak of what you’ll find inside your copy of Prelude to Coda

* How to know if starting your own business is right for you (page 8);
* Ways to attract new clients (page 63);
* Finding a profitable niche for your services (page 46);
* The marketing materials you need most (page 52);
* How much to charge for your services (page 77);
* Financial information you should know (page 82);
* How to measure your success (page 42)…
* And much, much more!

For more information please visit BuildAPrivatePractice.com

This past week I learned just how much music can heal and soothe. I have just started working with a new resident. She is in her early 60’s, suffering from Alzheimer’s and very anxious. She is often calling out to her husband and although he visits everyday on a regular basis, she often does not remember.

A week after our first meeting I went back to see her again and found out from the staff that her husband had passed away suddenly. It was tragic and although her family had told this resident about her husband’s passing, she does not remember. She continues to ask where he is and when he will be coming to visit.

So, this week when I went to visit I used music, specifically me singing and playing the guitar, to “hold” my resident. The music and my voice was used to comfort her and lesson her anxiety; it provided a place for her to express her grief and anxiety safely. Something changed for me as I worked with her. Although there wasn’t much talking, there was eye contact and simple presence. It was very powerful.

We all find ourselves in times of sadness and grief. Next time you face such emotions try using music, it can be recorded as well, to “be with you”. Let the music be a container for your feelings, let it hold you, let it comfort you. Allow yourself to simple be present with the music. See what happens.

It has been a very busy couple of months. During the last 60 days or so I have been working hard to expand my passion for music therapy through a variety of means. First, I have been growing my company through collaborations with other music therapists to provide music therapy services to as many older adults as possible. Meetings with long term care and Alzheimer’s facility administrators has been very exciting. As I speak about my own passion for music therapy with older adults I seem to ignite excitment in the administrators I speak with. I can feel the excitement all around. It is electrifying.

I have also been working hard to finish up my book. I met with my editor last week to embark on plans to put this book out into the world and begin helping music therapists and other creative arts therapists build successful practices. As I met with my editor I found myself, once again, sharing my passion for what I do. Not only did I express my passion for music therapy, but I also voiced my desire to help my professional colleagues build private practices. I saw myelf as a catalyst for expanding creative arts therapies throughout the country. This is indeed an exciting prospect. A prospect I wasn’t consciously aware of when I started this journey.

It truly is an exciting time in my career and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I am working on a book about how to start and run a successful private practice. Initially I wrote it from the perspective of a music therapist building a music therapy practice. However, I would like to expand my readership and write for a variety of creative arts therapists and expressive arts therapists.

If you are a music therapist, art therapist, drama therapist, dance therapist, or any type of creative arts therapist, I would like your input on this book. Please post on my blog and let me ask you some questions.

Kathy Lindberg, MT-BC

Welcome! My name is Kathy Lindberg, a board-certified Music Therapist in Ohio.  For the past several weeks, I have been working on this new website and blog and it has been fun unveiling them this weekend.

I have been a music therapist for 17 years and have had the pleasure of working with a variety of people living with many different challenges. Currently I work with older adults, both the healthy aged and those suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other developmental delays.

Along with this blog, I am unveiling my company’s new website, Melisma Music Therapy Services and invite you to browse the site. The mission of my company is to provide quality music therapy services, workshops, and music lessons not only to persons in my community of Wooster, OH, but to persons throughout the state as well.  I believe so strongly in the power of music therapy that I want to bring it to as many people as possible.

I am looking forward to sharing my journey as a music therapist with you.