Internships are long-awaited, wonderful, and challenging experiences and if you are currently a music therapy intern or are going to start as an intern over the next few months let me first say Congratulations! The past year has been full of changes and if you are like me, the internship experience you are encountering is probably not the one you originally envisioned. For me, the main difference is that so far, my internship has been completely virtual. While I miss being able to work with clients in person, learning how to provide music therapy through telehealth has been a truly rewarding experience. I feel like I have learned so much even in the short time I have been an intern and would love to share a bit about what I have found helpful in my experience navigating a virtual music therapy internship.
Checking yourself at the “door”
You may have heard this saying in conjunction with the importance of compartmentalizing your personal life and other distractions in order to be present and aware for your clients during therapy sessions. Being present has been something that I am mindfully working toward as it can get tricky when there is no physical door to check yourself at, i.e. doing all your sessions from home. In a pre-COVID era, I would have gotten into my car and driven to the site of my sessions. In my college practicums, I found this drive time helpful to get my mind focused and prepared. Since I live at home with limited space, the only place where I can attend sessions is from my bedroom. With this reality, I discovered early on that I needed to create a space and a routine that would enable me to better transition from at-home head space to MT intern head space so that I could be better present and effective in my work.
Creating the Space
I found it incredibly helpful to rearrange my small bedroom to better function for my internship needs. One specific way I did this was to set up a well-lit corner of my room where all my musical instruments were within reach as a workspace. I also got rid of my bed and now sleep in a hammock that I take down during the day to free up some needed space. Lastly, I set up a folding partition so that the background of my video feed in sessions is more professional and less distracting.
I found it incredibly helpful to rearrange my small bedroom to better function for my internship needs. One specific way I did this was to set up a well-lit corner of my room where all my musical instruments were within reach as a workspace. I also got rid of my bed and now sleep in a hammock that I take down during the day to free up some needed space. Lastly, I set up a folding partition so that the background of my video feed in sessions is more professional and less distracting.
Creating a morning “transition” routine has also been beneficial in enabling me to be present for the clients I work with. Mindfully putting away my “bed” and setting up the partition as part of this routine helps me transition my space and my mind in preparation for the day. While these physical and visual cues are helpful, I am not advocating that all interns attending sessions from home should rearrange their rooms and sleep in hammocks. My encouragement would be to find out what works best so that you can “show up” prepared to be present having checked yourself at “the door”, be it a literal door or not.
Get to Know Your Telehealth Platform
Telehealth can be challenging to navigate at first knowing how to do so is crucial for being present and interacting with clients. The faster and more comfortable I am at managing the technology, the more attentive I can be to the clients and their needs. So far, a big part of my internship has been learning to use the platform Zoom to provide music therapy. Through training in telehealth and some awesome tips and tricks I have learned from my supervisors, I have developed a significant appreciation for what the platform can do. No matter what platform you use for your internship, take some time early on to get to know how it works and what you can do creatively with it. One of the most rewarding aspects of telehealth is learning to use technology to provide engaging musical experiences for clients. Wonderful music and visual apps or online resources like Chrome Music Lab are helpful tools and sky’s the creative limit for what we can do. As we learn to manipulate technology with greater creativity and ease, we will be more present for interacting with clients, even though we are separated by screens.
Telehealth Challenges
As amazing as telehealth can be, there are limitations and challenges that come with it. Some of the unexpected challenges I have encountered is the screen fatigue from being in front of a screen all day and energy drain from trying to convey tons of positive energy to increase participation when you are just a small image on the client’s screen. At other times technology simply refuses to cooperate. How rude, right? Thankfully, I was told from day one of my internship that flexibility would be key. Pursuing flexibility and being able to adapt in the moment have been important cornerstones of my internship experience so far. Encountering challenges, technological or not, in internship may not feel comfortable and can be overwhelming. However, it just means we are growing which is exciting because that’s the point of internship.
Leaving Work at Work aka Transitioning Back and Self Care
At the end of a full day of sessions, I have found that it is equally important to create a routine that allows me to transition from internship back to personal life. Creating this balance is important so that I can show up fresh and ready the next morning. As part of my internship, I end each day by completing a quick self-care journal entry which helps me to recap the day, identify gratitude and plan a self-care action. I have found this to be very useful in helping my brain transition. After I log off for the day, I have a short routine of taking down my partition, clearing up my workspace, and changing into some comfy clothes. On days that have been particularly busy or challenging, I have found it super helpful to spend 10-15 min doing yoga to help me process and unwind. Designating some “no screen” time in the evenings has also been helpful in preventing screen fatigue during the day.
The transitions and routines I have just shared are important because they allow me to balance my life so I can be present for my internship work. I would definitely encourage any intern to find and create routines that best serve them. Telehealth can be challenging but despite the glitches, there have been wonderful moments during sessions where, using technology, clients and I were connected in music making even though we were physically distanced. To end on a grace note (pun intended), be kind to yourself and others. This is all so new and we are having to juggle a lot of new challenges. It’s ok and natural to feel overwhelmed. These feelings are just proof that we all are in a beautiful process of growth through this time.
*Graphics in this blogpost are free stock photos from PEXELS.