When it’s Only You
Tuesday’s in the life of an MTCCA Intern are busy, busy days. But Tuesday’s are also one of the best days of the week because the junior and senior interns co-treat together. We have the opportunity to co-treat in individual and group sessions. Let me tell you, it is incredibly helpful in group sessions to have 2 sets of hands and 2 strong voices to help lead interventions. In a perfect world, music therapists would always be able to co-treat large group sessions, but in a the real world we aren’t always so lucky.
In my three months of internship thus far, I have learned that things are not always going to go as expected. Have it be an intervention that you thought was going to be great, but really wasn’t or that you thought you were going to always co-treat in large groups, but you occasionally have to fly solo. With facing both of the above situations, I have learned to always be prepared with a plan A, B and C, don’t be afraid to work out of your norm and utilize your resources. And with this, I have a few learning’s to share.
Tips for Treating Large Groups Solo
- Breathe, you can do this.
- Keep the music going and if it stops, talk – Sing a cappella if you need your hands for something else besides playing guitar (ie. modeling a movement, passing out and collecting instruments) If the music can’t keep going, use the silence as a teaching opportunity, drop a few informational blurbs on the benefits of what you are doing.
- Recruit the staff! – When co-treating, one intern is facilitating the music while the other is assisting the clients in movement and interacting 1:1. Since you’re on your own, ask the staff to assist with playing instruments or assist in a movement, they are there to help.
- Bring a speaker– If you have the opportunity to use a speaker, do it! Recruiting the staff is incredibly helpful but sometimes you might need more. In this case, have your music cued up and let the music happen while you free up your hands to interact with the clients.
Happy Singing
-Kristin
