Heather Foxwell shares more insights from her internship as a Music Therapist in this week’s blog

It is so nice to follow patients over a period of time to see the progress you have actually made with them.

I am finding as my internship rolls to a close that there are some positive patterns happening with many of my patients. Some of the main goals often expressed in end-of-life palliative care, is to just make the patient comfortable, and increase their quality of life. In music therapy, this is often done through decreasing such things as: anxiety, agitation, loneliness, and providing a means for self expression through music.

I am finding that there is an increase to quality of life for many of my patients. I am not only seeing this on a day to day basis, where they will often slip back to their baseline, but I see it as a gradual progression that I am just becoming aware of now.

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In the next two posts, Music Therapy intern Heather Foxwell shares some final thoughts and personal stories as her internship winds to a close.

It’s easy to forget just how much of an impact you can have on a person simply by playing some music with them.  Also, it is even more surprising to realize that you not only impact the patient you work with, but the entire family.  I got to really experience this at the memorial service last week for Season’s Hospice bereaved families.

One family came up to me afterward and greeted me as if I was one of the family; a very warm embrace, hug, and heartfelt wondering of how I was doing and what I would be doing after my internship.  They expressed that my presence, though quite brief with their deceased loved one, was very calming and transformative for both the patient and the family.

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Wisdom tells us to: “follow your heart.”

My heart moves to the beat of music and healing.

I knew the only two things worth doing for the rest of my life would have to involve music and psychology.  Two vocations that are NOT for the weak of heart/spirit.  If you are looking for a road to quick success and financial stability, this is definitely the road NEVER traveled. Especially in the hard economic times we are currently experiencing. But, I agree with ancient wisdom of many cultures that remind us to “follow our heart” to always go the right direction.

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