Conflict
Whether it be in our personal or professional lives, conflict is bound to happen at some point.
Each week, us interns pull a word out of a hat to determine our weekly “word of the day”. Of all the words I have drawn from the hat, I think “conflict” is the most challenging blog topic I’ve gotten so far. This is probably because I value harmony and tend to avoid conflict!
One thing I’ve learned in the past 5 months is that in music therapy, particularly within private practice, conflict is inevitable at some point. MTCCA works in schools, in-home, at facilities, and in-clinic. To avoid breaking HIPAA rules, I will not disclose specific stories, but I can say that one of the main ingredients to a harmonious relationship with clients is COMMUNICATION! It is very important to be clear and concise, and learn how each person communicates best (phone, email, text). At the end of the day, one of the most important things is confidence in the fact that I’ve been totally clear in all my interactions.
At the beginning of my internship, I would have avoided conflict at ALL costs, but I think that since then, I have certainly grown in confidence and am much more comfortable in dealing with conflict now! These lessons come with experience.
-Marjie
