Completing my first ever music therapy clinical placement in Hollanden Park Hospital was an enriching experience that taught me more than I could have ever imagined.
As I reflect back on my time Hollanden Park Hospital I find myself not only in awe of the amount of personal growth I have been given the opportunity to do as a therapist thanks to the support here, but also of the deeper understanding and appreciation of how precious and fundamental music therapy can be to alleviate physical and/or psychological symptoms that people with acquired brain injury (ABI) may be suffering with.
I started my music therapy masters in September 2021 and two months later I arrived at Hollanden Park Hospital for the beginning of my clinical placement. This consisted of four weeks of introductory observations followed by 12 weeks of independent work under supervision.
Caterina Dellabona
I felt pretty much engulfed by novelty and new information, which was both extremely exciting and slightly overwhelming. Luckily, the multidisciplinary team (MDT) I worked alongside went above and beyond to make sure I was supported throughout.
My professional experience prior to this had been working as a music practitioner with children with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. The different approach required in this type of setting compared to being a music therapist working with adults with ABI played on my mind a lot and made me question whether I would have the appropriate skills and capabilities to cope in this environment.
I set myself the task to go into this experience with zero expectations, an open mind and taking one small step at a time. I was able to do exactly this thanks to the incredible music therapy lead at Hollanden Park Hospital: Ana Pessoa.
I was immediately made to feel welcome and part of the team. Ana created a safe and non-judgemental space for me to ask questions and express thoughts which were always listened to and understood. From the moment I arrived I was always given space to be curious and expand my learning.
During the first four weeks of observations I shadowed an occupational therapist, speech and language therapist and physiotherapist, as well as Ana’s Neurologic Music Therapy sessions, which helped me understand how the various professions differ and work together as a MDT to best support a patient’s needs.
This knowledge of how other therapies work was expanded when I started my own independent clinical work and co-lead a music group with an occupational therapy student (OTS) who was also in placement. Through this group I learnt how to plan, lead, and evaluate sessions with another professional. I also learned to adjust my approach to fit in with the OTS.
I encourage students to try and get involved working with as many different professions as possible whilst on placement as it provides an opportunity to not only understand how other therapies work, but also to understand music therapy itself on a deeper level.
After each session, the OTS and I wrote clinical notes together and it was interesting to see how we payed attention to different things: I would make more subjective interpretations whilst the OTS would be more objective. Being more objective was something I had to learn to do and writing SOAP notes was of great aid to this.
In music therapy we are mainly used to writing personal/process notes in which we reflect on what happened in a therapy session in terms of interpersonal relationship and transference of emotions, and think about how these may have come up in the music. This is not appropriate in a setting where other clinicians need to be able to read what happened in a session and follow the chain of clinical reasoning. I feel more confident in my clinical notes now and prepared for any future clinical thinking and writing I may find myself doing once I complete my masters.
As well as co-leading a group, during my 12 weeks at Hollanden Park Hospital, I worked with three patients individually.
The patients were very different from one another and I built a unique relationship with each of them. I do not think I will ever forget the intense emotions I experienced and the connections that were made.
Before starting my work with them I battled with a lot of self-doubt and anxiety. I was worried that I was too inexperienced to be able to give the support needed. This could be a familiar feeling in students facing their first placement. What helped me the most work through this was being kind towards myself, reminding myself that I was here to learn, maintaining openness and, the most useful of all, make full use of supervision time.
I was extremely lucky in my experience as Ana was an incredible clinical supervisor who invited me to reflect on and process any thoughts and emotions I had. In supervision, I learned to understand if transference and countertransference could be occurring and how different events can be interpreted in many ways, without there being a right or wrong way. The tools I picked up from discussions with Ana were the most formative for me and I believe they gave me a very solid base to build on as a music therapist.
I felt very privileged to be involved in a neurorehabilitation setting. It is a fascinating and ever-growing area of science where new things are being discovered constantly. It gives you the opportunity to continuously learn and update your work.
This is reflected at Hollanden Park Hospital in the monthly Journal Club. Staff from all the therapies read and discuss a chosen scientific paper. Sharing ideas and reading on colleagues’ work enables everyone to know what research is currently being done. Being involved in this, learning about neurorehabilitation, and hearing the opinions of professionals who are actively involved in this area was fascinating.
Coming to the end of my time in placement is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the past six months. I have gained a completely new understanding and appreciation of how effective music can be. I have seen patients completely transform over the course of my time here, not just patients I was working with, but patients who were working with Ana too. I have seen relationships build in ways I never thought possible.
As well as supporting functional improvement and helping reach rehabilitation goals set by the MDT, music therapy can provide emotional support and offers important opportunities for self-expression that patients may otherwise not have.
Session after session, reflecting on events that occurred, I noticed changes that convinced me that in many situations music truly reaches people in ways nothing else can, and it is fundamental that settings like Hollanden Park Hospital continue to make the most of this precious resource.
