Author: gsusmusictherapy

At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, we get asked a lot about why we charge for our services. Oddly we don’t usually get asked, “What am I paying for?”, but “Why do you charge for your time?”. This is a great question. So let’s talk logistics and dollars and cents, shall we?

Let’s start with what is music therapy? Music therapy is the clinical-, evidence-, and goal-based alternative medical and therapy practice (a CAM titled profession) where music and musical elements are used to address the non-musical needs of an individual or group. The session interventions are customized to the individual and programmed to address identified goals using preferred music repertoire. At G^sus, we work within the mind-body-spirit connection and from the humanistic approach to therapeutic care and practice.

When you seek out, refer to, or contract music therapy services from G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, what you are getting is:

• a board certified music therapist

What is a board certified music therapist you ask? A board certified music therapist is someone who has earned the credential MT-BC. This credential requires a bachelor degree + 6 month internship where the individual works as a music therapist + sitting for and passing a board certification exam. You also get someone who has years of experience working with individuals and groups across a wide range of needs, diagnoses, presenting conditions, and levels of functioning as a music therapist.

• continuing education and training

If there is a new approach to therapy or a more extensive approach to therapy, there is a really great possibility that your friendly music therapist has engaged in that kind of study, research, and training. At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, we know we have certainly done just this thing.

• annual association fees for maintaining the board certified credential and membership fees

If your music therapist is connected to an association (AMTA – American Music Therapy Association, CTMTA – Central Texas Music Therapy Association, SWAMTA – Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association, WFMT – World Federation of Music Therapy, MARMAT – Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association, etc.) – whether it be at the state, regional, national, and/or international level, when you contract that music therapist – not only do you have access to their personal expertise, you are also gaining access to a music therapist that is connected to their own network of colleagues and checks and balances that hold them accountable. In addition, your music therapist also has access to research and anecdotal publications and support services they would not have otherwise.

• time invested and spent on your (or your groups) case

Music therapy is a clinical-, evidence-, and goal-based therapy. This includes research done specifically with you (or your group) in mind to make sure the interventions being provided are consistently the best intervention techniques to address whatever need you may have, making sure that the music that is provided is preferred (because no one likes to listen to music they can’t relate to or to not be able to participate), instruments for your ease of use (or adaptive instruments that are altered to be usable even in the midst of disability or impairment), traveling to and from the session (because sometimes what works best for you is to be in your own home or you are in a facility where you cannot leave), documenting the session (even music therapists take therapist notes and chart your progress and make adjustments to your treatment based on the data collected – if we didn’t, it would just be music time and not music therapy), and cleaning equipment used in the session (for your health and ours, we used sterilized instruments and manipulatives and keeping them that way takes time and materials).

• Purchasing and maintaining equipment and instruments

Everyone has a bad day from time to time and sometimes that bad day shows up on our instruments and equipment. Since those instruments are the tools of our trade, we have to have them repaired (and when we are able, we do the repairs ourselves). Also we use our instruments and equipment to help thousands of people every year; and sometimes things need to be touched up and maintenanced so we can keep on helping others. Sometimes special adaptations are necessary to make sure that even someone whose abilities are impaired or diminished in any capacity still have the opportunity to participate with their session where they are in the moment and not where they are “expected” to be.

• liability insurance

Making sure that you are protected and that we are protected, your music therapist carries liability insurance coverage for “just in case”. Although we can honestly say we have never had cause to use the added measure of security, we feel it would behoove us to make sure we have it.

• Administrative time

Emailing, responding to phone messages, making schedules for sessions, and making accommodations for schedule changes requires time. Although most music therapists try and accomplish all of this on one day; more often than not, it is something they have to do every day.

• Office supplies and field-related software and technology

To make sure that everything that will help you (or your group) go from where you are to where you would like or need to be sometimes requires custom manipulatives or assistive technology. Although music therapists can do some searching and networking to make sure that these things are at your disposal; unless they are receiving grants or charitable donations, those all come from out of pocket expense and session preparation time.

• music therapists salary

Although a percentage of what you pay goes to provide the paycheck your music therapist takes home; as you can see, most of what you pay goes to other areas to make sure your therapy is everything you need it to be.

When you go to your doctor, dentist, massage therapist, psychotherapist, speech language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, or any other medical or mental health professional, (same as a music therapist), you pay for their time and expertise, access to resources, and ability to provide quality care. At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, we work hard to make sure that your music therapy sessions look and feel like an engaging and rewarding experience and not just therapy.

Is this all that you get for your hard-earned dollars? Absolutely not. There is so much more that we provide; but these are the cornerstones and foundations of our clinical services. Do we expect payment for our services? Absolutely. As you’ve read, music therapy requires a lot to make sure you (or your group) are able to walk away from your therapy session feeling successful and accomplished, relaxed and prepared, and capable and in charge.

There is an old adage that says, “You get what you pay for”. Why do we charge for our time? Because we wouldn’t be able to offer you the best of our skills, knowledge, expertise, and resources if we didn’t expect payment for our services. We are committed to BE the CHANGE we WANT to SEE in the WORLD and in our COMMUNITIES. We are doing this ONE song at a TIME, ONE life at a TIME, and one SESSION at a TIME.

Many suggestions maintaining that it would be better if we would volunteer our services/expertise and donate our time have come in. You’ll be happy to know that we do a fair amount of community service and give freely of our time – willingly and joyfully. Alas, like most of you, we also all have bills to pay and families to support, which are situations that necessitate we also bring in an income for what we do.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Would you like more information about music therapy? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself or a loved one? Do you think one of our performance ensembles is just the medicine the doctor ordered? Do you want to find out what your heart says? Would you like to learn how to take control of your health and thinking? Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/gsusmusictherapy, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com or fill out the ‘Contact Us‘ form right here on our site.

We wish you the grooviest of days and at least one moment that takes your breath away and makes your heart smile!

The G^sus Music Therapy Treatment Team

At Gsus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, we provide music therapy sessions for a wide range of clients with a wide range of needs.  While our services are always programmed to each individual and their specific needs, some of the clients we see are individuals who have special medical- or health-related concerns that require the services we offer to be even more specialized to meet their needs.  This may include the use of specific or adapted instruments and intervention methods.  We are currently fundraising with a “Bit of Butter…Pear Butter That Is” campaign. We have created 7 different flavors of organic (but not certified organic) Pear Butter and have lovingly jarred them for your tasting delight.

What exactly is pear butter, you ask?  It’s a saucy/buttery spread made with organic pears and various added spices or flavors.  It has many uses, including as a spread on bread, toast, or biscuits, as an additive to yogurt or soft cheeses, as a topping for oatmeal or ice cream, as a delicious substitute for healthy recipe creations, as a unique rub for poultry and other meats, and much more.  The uses of pear butter are endless.

To titillate your pallet, we have Traditional Pear Butter, Cinnamon Pear Butter, Spiced Pear Butter, Autumn Spiced Pear Butter, Caramel Saffron Pear Butter, Honey Vanilla Pear Butter, and Toasted Coconut Lime Pear Butter.  These savory concoctions are guaranteed to be a delectable addition to any meal, snack, or culinary creation.  For the foodie in you or just because you would like to lend a helping hand.  Our jars of “butter” come in 4 oz. (1/4 pint), 8 oz. (half pint), and 16 oz. (full pint).  The 4 oz. jar is $2; the 8 oz. jar is $4; and the 16 oz. jar is $6 or 2 for $10.

All funds earned from the sale of these jars of taste bud delights will be used to purchase a case of Suzuki ToneChime bars to be used for our clients who are hospitalized and for those who require a more sterile environment for the management of their conditions. A single case of chimes costs in the neighborhood of $700 plus shipping and handling.

Having these ToneChime bars would allow us to add another method of providing music therapy services with other instruments that can be more effectively sanitized, and would allow us to make sure that the services our clients receive are effective and beneficial for their overall wellness and well-being.

Every little bit helps us get that much closer to our goal. What better way to give to charity than to have a delicious treat to go with it?

Thank you for helping us with our “Bit of Butter…Pear Butter That Is” campaign. Stay tuned to hear more about our charity walk.

Best wishes for a grooving day and at least one moment that makes your heart smile,

The Gsus Music Therapy Treatment Team and the Gsus Music Therapy Family

There are a few moving parts we think it would be a good idea to cover to answer this question.

Moving part 1: the “humanistic approach” means “client- or person-centered” approach to a therapeutic relationship. Anyone who comes to G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, is a human being first. They are a human being with unique thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences that all go into making them the wonderful being they are at the time we meet them. Although we do take into account any diagnosis and mediating conditions, reactions, and a whole slew of other things unique to the individual(s) in front of us; we do not allow ourselves to forget they are a human being and a person worthy of unconditional positive regard and kindness. It is your therapy. You are the focus of what we do.

Carl Rogers developed the concept of a therapist being a human being with an individual first; and a therapist second. He defined it by saying, “It is that the individual has within himself or herself vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self-concept, attitudes and self-directed behavior – and that the resources can be tapped if only a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided” (Rogers, 1986). That’s quite a mouthful, right? We think a more simple way of saying the same thing is that everyone has the ability to discover who they are, to understand why they think the way they do and respond to things the way they do, and to realize what their best self can look like in the midst of any of life’s storms and trials.

 

Moving part 2: “client- or person-centered” really means “mind, body, and spirit”. These three elements are what makes an individual an individual. Although philosophers have been debating for centuries what is man; one thing they all have been able to agree on is that a human is a mind, a body, and a spirit. The mind, the body, and the spirit are unique. There is no one like you…anywhere. There are those who may think similarly, but they do not think identically to you. There are those who may like the same things you do, but they cannot like them the way you do. And even though we all feel things, there is no one anywhere who will ever know exactly how what you are feeling feels like. We think Dr. Seuss says it best, “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You”.

So how does all of this fit into the therapeutic process?

Moving part 3: Have you ever heard the old adage, “You are what you eat?” Just like we feed our bodies, we also feed our minds and our spirits. And just like what we feed our bodies has a direct effect on how well our body is in balance and can perform and stand up to illness, disease, and stress; what we feed our minds and spirits matters and the same kind of benefits apply. Most people don’t think about this concept of self being made of 3 components often. Through the humanistic approach to a therapeutic relationship, we help you learn about your self – all of your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences that make you who you are. We help you see your diagnosis and mediating conditions, reactions, and a whole slew of other things that you face from a different angle. We help you discover, analyze, compose, and record your own soundtrack for your life based on your experiences, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and diagnosis so your self has a more balanced diet. We like to think of it in these terms: Our bodies hear everything our mouths say, our minds think about everything we feel, and we feel everything we say and think about.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Would you like more information about music therapy? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself or a loved one? Do you think one of our performance ensembles is just the medicine the doctor ordered? Do you want to find out what your heart says? Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/gsusmusictherapy, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com or fill out the ‘Contact Us‘ form right here on our site.

We wish you the grooviest of days and at least moment that takes your breath away and makes your heart smile!

The Gsus Music Therapy Treatment Team

Sometimes in life you will find yourself between a rock and a hard place. What you thought of as normal, will be completely different. Things in your life will have changed. How you feel about things in your life will have shifted. What you feel about your life and the direction it is heading will have been altered. How you see and interact with people in your life will have been altered. And sometimes, even those who are still in your life will look different. Learning how to cope through the changes brought on by life and rediscovering “normal” can sometimes be a challenge.

Music therapy can help you find your “new normal” and reconcile your past. You can learn new coping skills to help manage and overcome emotional chaos. Music therapy is beneficial for individuals who have experienced and are dealing with trauma – whether it be rape, domestic violence, loss, natural disasters, abuse, crisis, or war. There are many methods of empirically identified music therapy interventions that allow an individual to explore their feelings, ideas, and experiences. Therapeutic instrument music playing allows an individual to express themselves non-verbally when they may have difficulty talking about how they feel. Guided imagery journeying allows an individual to process their emotions and experiences through music. Songwriting and singing and recording allows an individual to put music and song to their experiences and release them. Having and participating in music therapy does not require any previous musical experience or knowledge. Many of our clients come to us to learn how to more effectively cope with the stressors of their lives and to learn a new “normal”.

There can be feelings of peace and well-being even when life is turbulent, even when there are trials and tribulations, even when there seems to be no end in sight, even in the midst of recovery, even when the emotions overwhelm, and even when the light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away. Suicide does not have to be an option. Persistent and invasive depressive thinking does not have to be a way of life. One flashback after another does not have to be your “new normal”. There is more in this life for you. There is more in you than the trauma you experienced. What has happened to you does not have to be what defines you.

If you find yourself having difficulty engaging in your day-to-day life, find yourself affected by fear, anxiety, or depression, and plagued by flashbacks of your trauma… Music therapy can help.  If you find yourself using or abusing alcohol or drugs to help you cope, wondering when you lost yourself, or have tried talk therapy and found it was not right for you… Music therapy can be just what the doctor ordered. If you find yourself feeling like all hope is lost… Music therapy can be the key to opening new doors in your life. If you find yourself struggling to put one foot in front of the other… Music therapy can help to re-energize your life. You do not have to go through it alone.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to ask. We do not mind talking about what we do.

Thank you so much for taking the time to check us out. Our goal here at Gsus Music Therapy Services & Center is to BE the CHANGE we WANT to SEE within our community and in the lives of others; and we are committed to doing it one song at a time.

If you have any questions or would additional information about music therapy or our services, please contact us at 512.754.9631, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy.com, or fill out the ‘Contact Us’ form right here on our website.

Best wishes for a grooving day and at least one moment that makes your heart smile!

The Gsus Music Therapy Treatment Team

EXTRA EXTRA!!!!
TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!!

WHERE? : The Embassy Suites Conference Center
1001 McCarty Lane, right off of I35 in San Marcos, TX