Mental health for all people: How music therapy addresses mental health for disabled people* beyond acute mental health settings by Ruth Franklin, Music Therapy Intern * A note on language: I recognize that there are different ways that disabled people wish to be identified, and I acknowledge that I am not disabled. In efforts to use language respectfully and in an identity-affirming way, throughout this post, I use “disabled people.” Mental Health and Music Therapy When you think of mental health and music therapy, what do you think of? Perhaps you may think of music therapy in hospitals ..read more

Affordable Gift Guide for Music Therapists by Sarah Turner, MMT, MT-BC Folks, it’s that time of year – the season of gratitude and gift-giving has finally arrived! If you’re looking to show some appreciation and support to a music therapist in your life, this post is for you! Whether the music therapist sees clients in-person or virtually, these gift ideas are sure to serve them well. The following 10 suggestions would most definitely make our lives easier and bring us joy! Some of these ideas are practical while some are purely fun – but all are intended to make the music therapist in your ..read more

DIY Fall Sensory Box by Isabelle Spence, MT-BC Are you looking for a fall or Halloween-themed activity to pumpkin spice up your therapy practice this season? Look no further!  This unique activity is a hit with my clients and is a tried and true staple in my autumn rotation. Not only is it fun for clients, but it is also engaging and enjoyable as a facilitator. Connect with your playful, festive side and create your own Fall or Halloween Sensory Box! Disclaimer: This activity utilizes a wide variety of objects involving various textures, sounds, and smells. Be mindful of your clients’ i ..read more

Therapy Buzzwords: Empathy by Taylor Cockrum, MT-BC   What is Empathy?   Empathy is: The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, AND vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another person. The ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation Empathy vs Sympathy While sympathy involves acknowledging another’s emotional or physical struggle and showing concern, pity, or support for them, empathy goes a step further. i.e. “I’m sorry you’re in pain.” Empathy in ..read more

Therapy Buzzwords: Anxiety by Taylor Cockrum, MT-BC   What’s that?  Anxiety … is an intense worry or fear about everyday situations. It can be triggered by life experiences or be inherited. affects ALL people, however, it can become a problem when the frequency of this intense worry interferes with daily functioning. Not all people who experience anxiety have an anxiety disorder! Can look like: increased heart rate, sweating, nausea, difficulty sleeping, rapid breathing, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, avoiding tasks and responsibilities, feeling tense and/or restless, mo ..read more

A Synopsis and Review of Hearing Voices: A Memoir of Madness by Eric Coates by Jordan Bailey, MT-BC During the pandemic, I spent a great amount of my time reading. I decided to re-read a few books that stood out to me in the past. The book I’m telling you about today was so profound to me when I read it for the first time that I was very excited to crack it open again. The author painted an extremely vivid image of exactly what was happening in his head during two major mental breakdowns due to schizoaffective disorder.  Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that features symptom ..read more

Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness (Part 3) by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern Read Part 1 of Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern Read Part 2 of Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern Welcome to Part 3 of our series on cultural competence in music therapy. We’re jumping back into some interviews. As a reminder, here are the questions that interviewees were asked: What is your denominational background? What type of musi ..read more

Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness (Part 2) by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern Read Part 1 of Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern Hello, again! Welcome to Part 2 of our series on cultural competence in music therapy. Let’s dive into our interviews. What is your denominational background? What type of music have you been exposed to in church? Have you ever heard or sung traitional hymns in your church? What element of church music gets your attetion? (i.e. lyrics, instrumentation, rhy ..read more

Developing Cultural Competence Through Cultural Consciousness (Part 1) by Nia Imani Williams, Music Therapy Intern As I progressed throughout my music therapy study at Sam Houston State University prior to the start of my internship here at Heart and Harmony, I was driven to examine my own assumptions within my culture. One assumption that I did not realize I held involved generational preferences of African-American church music – specifically, traditional hymns versus modern gospel. For clarity, traditional hymns are also sometimes referred to as ‘black gospel hymns’ and ‘old school gospel ..read more

Simple Accompaniment Patterns in Piano by Haruki Nunn, Music Therapy Intern If you are a music therapist or an aspiring musician studying music therapy, I am sure that you have already had an impression that skills on keys are important depending on what activities you want to introduce to clients. Although not all populations require advanced skills on the keys, it is indeed a great skill for any music therapists to have and use in sessions whenever opportunities exist. In this article, I would like to introduce some easy accompaniment patterns so that anyone who is interested in learning k ..read more