Music Therapy Intern's Corner // Alisabeth Hopper

Hello All!

My name is Alisabeth, I am the Music Therapy intern at Music Therapy Connections, and this is the Intern’s Corner! Once a week throughout my internship I will share my perspective on the internship process and what its like to intern in Music Therapy, and at Music Therapy Connections. I am so excited to share my journey with you!

That being said, I just completed my first full week at Music Therapy Connections and wow, it has been a crazy week! Going into my first day I was not sure what to expect. I have known that I wanted to have a private practice ever since I began studying Music Therapy. Now I am finally here! I am able to see people actually doing that which up until now, has only been a dream. As the week went on I found myself feeling the weight of compounding stress right alongside the compounding joy that comes with doing what you love. It has been overwhelming in every sense of the word.

For all of the up and coming interns out there I have made a short list of things to remember on your first week!

         1.  Relax.

As nerve-wrecking as that first day can be, with a couple deep breaths you can get through it. It can be overwhelming to be introduced to all of the competencies you need to meet and projects you need to complete. Just take it one day at a time. And remember today is a day to…

        2.  Celebrate!

You made it to your internship! This is an exciting time and you should take some time to celebrate the fact that you did it. You made it here.

        3.  Reflect

Take time everyday to reflect upon what you have experienced. Transitioning from one client contact hour per week to 20+ can be a dramatic change, so adjust accordingly and give yourself time to digest everything can be very helpful. I like to do this on my lengthy drive home.

        4.  Self Care, Self Care, Self Care

You have reached the end of the week and you are planning your to do list for the weekend; don’t forget to add some time for self care. This is time where you do something just for you. In the past this has been difficult for me, but my supervisors have made it clear that this is very important to be the best you that you can be, and after committing to it this week, I feel more relaxed and at ease. As challenging as it is to take time for yourself, when you feel overwhelmed it can be a great benefit to you.

I wish you all the best of luck in your own adventures this week!

Thank you for reading,

-AH