Can I just say (again) how satisfying it is to be doing music therapy? To be watching myself grow? To come home at the end of the day after 4 sessions thinking, "Wow, that was really great...next time we can do this and it will be even better and people can grow..." instead of thinking, "What the heck am I doing? Why did that happen and what am I going to do next time???"

Something I 'learned' for myself (sometimes we have to learn things repeatedly....it's not like I haven't learned this before...) is the importance of having an established relationship with your clients - how much that increases effectiveness of what you are doing. Today in my groups, I talked with each client a little bit prior to the session beginning (normally something very difficult for me) - but I feel like that made such a difference in their level of engagement with the session. It also made it so much more natural after the session to discuss how things went with the staff or with the clients' parents....which is again, something difficult for me. I'll be engaged with the music, no problem, but when it comes to actually talking (to adults...) -- it's not easy for me! But, yay! Did it today.

And one thing I really love is spontaneous moments. Some of the greatest things happened, getting the most engagement and verbal interaction from clients, came out of building on a spontaneous moment from a client. And we can't do that if we are not feeling comfortable, or if we are not trained in how. So...yay, again.

The only sad thing about today is that I took the wrong lunch container to work...I was going to have leftover spaghetti that I made last night, and instead I ended up with chicken and tater tots....still good...but it wasn't spaghetti! Love my mom's recipe....