Monthly opportunities for continued:
growth, network & community building, collaboration, & resource sharing
Third Thursdays On-Line Monthly via Zoom
6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time - Educational Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Suggested donation $20 per event.
Common Speech and Language Disorders, Approaches, and Collaborative Treatment Ideas
May
20th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenters: Abbe Simon, M.A., CCC-SLP and music therapist Alie Chandler, M.M., MT- BC, NMT
Description: Join speech pathologist Abbe Simon, M.A., CCC-SLP and music therapist Alie Chandler, M.M., MT-BC, NMT to learn about common speech and language disorders, approaches such as the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia, and collaborative treatment ideas. Presenters will provide evidence-based techniques and case examples to demonstrate how collaborative work can impact the lives of individuals with different communication impairments.
Building Resiliency
June 17th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Russ Turner, MA, MA, is the Director of the People Incorporated Training Institute.
Description: Resiliency refers to the ability to withstand the stresses and strains of life and work and have a strong capacity for adaptation. Resilient people tend to display certain personality traits, but in addition have robust daily practices that keep them mentally and physically strong. This presentation explores the problem of chronic unremitting stress on our overactive and distracted brains and offers a set of different skill sets for robust mental health that can be learned and practiced by anyone.
Vocal and Physical Injury Among Music Therapists
July 15th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenters: Brianna Larsen, M.A., MT-BC, NMT Fellow; Melissa Spiess, M.M., MT-BC, NMT Fellow
Description: Vocal and physical injuries are common for music therapists yet rarely talked about. Most music therapists were not educated on how to properly prepare their bodies and voices for the athletic demands of their jobs. Consequently, many MT-BCs experience acute and chronic injuries. Learn what common repetitive use injuries music therapists can have, strategies to prevent and recover from them, and identify when it’s important to seek medical attention.
Evidence Based Practice: Meaningful Change Now and For the Future
August 19th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Suzanne E. Oliver, MT-BC, NMT Fellow. Founder and Executive Director of Neurologic Music Therapy Services of Arizona
Description: This presentation will focus on understanding evidence-based practice both within and outside of an evidence-based treatment model (NMT). Participants will gain an understanding of the importance of the evidence-based model of NMT and how to communicate this model to funders and regulators in order to help consumers access treatment. Additionally, they will be able to make informed decisions about how they communicate the work they do and how they make choices, from objective writing to meaningful work/job positions throughout their careers.
Reframing Music Therapy: Our Work in the Context of Trauma and Healing.
October 21st: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Jennifer Sokira, MMT, LCAT, MT-BC
Description: The Covid-19 pandemic and other traumas have reshaped the way we understand how our bodies and brains respond to adversity. Music therapy may be a powerful resource to many who are healing, and as a baseline, this calls us to expand our understanding of how to hold space and create systems which are not harmful to survivors. Considerations for therapist awareness and development will be discussed.
If there any topics that you would like to learn more about or specific individuals you think would make great presenters please feel free to contact melissa@livingspirittherapy.com.
Almost all of the presentations have been recorded and are shared under "Click to Learn More" along with any accompanying handouts
Self-Care: Not All Bubble Baths and Ice Cream
April 15th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Kelsey Lownds, MM, MT-BC, NICU Music Therapist
Description: True self-care is not all about bubble baths and ice cream, it is making the choice to build a life you don't regularly need to escape from. During this presentation we will reframe what it means to care for ourselves, understand the importance of self-care, and start the process of truly caring for ourselves! A packet will be provided that includes a self-care assessment along with other resources to begin developing an individualized self-care plan, all while increasing understanding of true self-care.
* please reference the name of the event in the “message” section *
March 6th : 7:30 - 9:30 GLR/MWR Conference! (note, special day and time to accommodate conference.):
Is one of your favorite things about conference sitting around the lounge or bar and networking? Our Gather and Grow session, hosted by Living Spirit Therapy Services, is for you! Grab your favorite beverage and join us for networking, community building, resource sharing, and support. We will also share favorite presentations and take aways from conference, as we will have the amazing opportunity to to catch up on additional presentations for a month following conference.
So you want to songwrite! Tips and tricks for different uses of songwriting in therapy.
February 18th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Ginny Anderson Caldwell, M.M., MT-BC
Description: In this presentation, we will discuss various tips for writing original songs to address needs in various populations. Some specific areas we will cover include; ADL songwriting for rehab as a therapeutic tool, legacy songwriting for hospice care, and different styles of Hip-hop/rap beat making. In Hip Hop, we will review culture and simple technology through the iPad and Garageband to help you make beats that you are confident in.
* please reference the name of the event in the “message” section *
Effective Communication & Understanding Challenging Behaviors in Dementia
January 21st: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Laura DeLoye, MT-BC; Alzheimer's Association, CA Central Coast-San Luis Obispo Program & Education Manager
Description: Explore how communication changes when someone is living with dementia, learn how to interpret verbal and behavioral communication and identify strategies to help connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.
* please reference the name of the event in the “message” section *
Social Media Marketing for the Therapy Professional
December 17th: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Central Time Presentation
7:00 – 8:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter: Jaycie Voorhees, MM, SCMT, MT-BC; Director, Music Therapy Mastermind, LLC
Description: This presentation will outline essential tools & concepts for social media marketing. In a discussion-based format, participants will discover concrete ideas on how to use social media platforms to:
- Increase awareness of your brand & offering
- Discover your audience & attract prospects
- Engage with your audience in meaningful ways
- Convert your audience into loyal customers
* please reference the name of the event in the “message” section *
Experiences of and Practical Tips for Working in Multicultural Clinical Settings
October 15th: 6:00 – 8:00 pm Central Time Presentation
Presenters: Carolyn Koebel, M.M., MT-BC, HPC, David Melbye, MT-BC, and Ginny Anderson Caldwell, M.M., MT-BC
Description:
This powerhouse team is together Again!! Join Virginia Caldwell, Carolyn Koebel, and David Melbye for an evening conversation around Multicultural practices in music therapy. Through musical vignettes and clinical reflections, they will share personal accounts of meeting diverse client needs through deep listening and culturalhumility. Bring a frame drum if you have one, as they will add a few get up and go musical skills during our time together...
* please reference the name of the event in the “message” section *
Helping Skills and Alliance Building
September 17th: 7:00 – 8:00 pm Central Time Presentation
8:00 – 9:00 pm - Networking, resource sharing, and community building
Presenter:Kara M. Johnson, LMFT, MSE, MEd, oncology psychotherapist at the Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center
Description: A primer on basic counseling and connecting skills for all in the helping professions, and information on how to develop a therapeutic alliance that leads to positive counseling outcomes and change for our patients.
- Apply essential counseling skills and self-attending skills to professional situations via cases provided by participants.
- Understand situations that call for advanced skills and understand how to develop these skills.
- Define“therapeutic alliance” and identify the important predictors of this relationship.
- Identify barriers to building a therapeutic alliance.
