Have you ever worked with a group where the individuals had a wide range of ages? Or, where you weren't sure which individuals would show up on any given day? I know in these situations we want to use musical experiences that are flexible and appropriate for that wide age range, but those can be [...]
One of the things I cherish most is the collection of session videos I have from my time working with children and teens in Miami over the past sixteen years. I've used these music therapy videos, with written permission from the parents and clients, as teaching tools on my website, in presentations, and in my [...]
I'm always on the lookout for new, positive pop songs that can be used therapeutically in my sessions with school-age kiddos and teens. Honestly, most times it feels like slim pickings. Many have inappropriate language that can't be used in the facilities where I work, or the content of the songs has little therapeutic value. [...]
Many of the music therapists and educators who enrolled in the Tune In To Teens E-Course and The Attention & Perception E-Course have expressed their need for more resources and support for their work with school-age and teen clients. With that in mind, I created some Add-On Packages that go hand-in-hand with both E-Courses. These [...]
We're coming up on nine months being in pandemic/quarantine/virtual services mode and I don't know about you, but I've really had to stretch my creativity these past few months. If you're like me, you've completely revamped your clinical practice. You now need ideas that will engage your clients across a plexiglass shield. Or you need [...]
Two weeks ago, I launched The Attention & Perception E-Course, a course I am exceptionally proud of. It's about 10 years in the making, considering I started filming some of the technique demonstrations while working at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Miami back in 2010. I'm thrilled by how many people have joined the course and [...]
In August, my girls and I made a long trek from Miami up to Maryland. Our plan? To stay in Pennsylvania and Maryland for a few months to get away during hurricane season and avoid any kind of evacuation-during-a-pandemic situation. It has really been wonderful getting to experience Fall again. Twenty years living in South [...]
One of the Tune In To Teens course features I hear the most positive feedback about is the Challenging Scenarios & Strategies for Success section, in Chapter 3. Working with teens is one of the most enjoyable things I’ve had the opportunity to do in my music therapy career, but it does come with some [...]
When it comes to looking at goals and areas of need for my teen clients, creativity and self-expression continually come to the top of my list, in terms of importance. With the upheaval that teens have experienced due to the pandemic, promoting creativity and giving them opportunities for self-expression seem more important now than ever [...]
As music therapists and educators, we know the importance of using client-preferred music in our sessions, especially when working with teens. Teens have a very personal relationship with the music that speaks to them. And when we show acceptance for our clients' music, what we're communicating is that we accept them. Using client-preferred music engages [...]