Growing Pains

Over the course of this trip, I've experienced a lot of new things. Besides the obvious experiences that come with travelling to abroad for the first time, I've had the opportunity to learn new things about both music therapy and myself.

I was able to see firsthand how different music therapy can be. On this trip, we primarily discussed the differences in music therapy philosophies and processes, both between Germany and the US and between our universities within the US. Having never discussed music therapy with anyone who wasn't associated with the University of Georgia, I learned a lot. I already knew that music therapy can be a lot of things, but I'd never thought about what makes it so broad. 

On this trip, we started asking some of the hard questions. What should the focus be in a therapy session? How is the music being used? How does it benefit the client? What's the difference between music therapy, sound therapy, psychotherapy, etc? Is a humanistic approach better than a behavioral approach? Should practice inform research or vice versa? On and on, we picked apart the details of music therapy and exposed a lot of decisions that I didn't realize I was making. To be honest, it was pretty uncomfortable.

That being said, I wholeheartedly appreciate the experience. It made me realize that getting better isn't about being comfortable. Opening your mind isn't pleasant and gaining insight isn't easy. However, I've learned how to think more critically about the decisions I make for the clients I help. I have the tools to make conscious decisions about interventions, and I know to keep seeking more information, insight, education. I know that I'm capable of pushing through the growing pains to emerge a stronger, more informed version of myself.