Disclaimer: I am not a counselor but there are often themes that come out in my own process of self-discovery and the work I do with my clients that are worth sharing. Some food for thought. We all are (or have been) wounded or struggling in some way. How do we respond? It may depend on where we are in our journey. Sometimes dealing with our own struggles can leave us too depleted for anything else. Sometimes the pain is still too raw and fresh. Once we have attended t

Disclaimer—I am not a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist but do use aspects of CBT in my work. Music therapists do not diagnose cognitive distortions but can help clients learn strategies to deal with them. I’ve been thinking about cognitive distortions this week. Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that affect how we see ourselves, our problems, and the world around us. It’s the negative self talk that keeps us from achieving our potential. One of the best known an

The most recent research article that I have read is “Musical Tasks and Energetic Arousal” published in the Spring 2018 edition of the Journal of Music Therapy. We all know that music can affect our mood and energy level. As a music therapist, I want to make sure that the music and music interventions I choose are the most appropriate to the needs of my clients. One of the variables the researchers looked at was the complexity of the musical task. They found that the more