As music therapists, our bodies are our main tool for work.  We depend on our voices, and our hands and often the line is blurred between “used” and “abused” to put it bluntly. It is  so important to be mindful of how we may be causing harm to our voices, hands, backs, and every area of our body in the ways that we use them.  I’m going to share 5 ways to tend to your body everyday and I strongly urge you to prioritize these wellness practices as an essential part of your music therapy practice. Just as you maintain your instruments, you must maintain yourself.

I like sets of 3 so the formula we will use for this second half is 1) Awareness 2) Learning and 3) Intention. The first step in implementing effective trauma-informed care is awareness. This part is what we’ve already addressed. Awareness of the prevalence of trauma and awareness of those three main factors of predictability, connection and learning social and emotional skills. Now comes learning! This is where you look at effective strategies that can help in combating the effects of trauma for your clients, students and children.