I'm Here With You

Abstract

Through my work as a music therapist with people who have dementia, I’ve learned a lot about the power of connecting on a simple, yet profound level. When I was a new therapist I was eager to always “do” and found it hard to just “be”. This is a story about Elizabeth, a nursing home resident and one of my first individual clients. My experiences of working with Elizabeth helped me learn how to be fully present, connect in a space of deep intimacy, and develop my personal identity as a therapist.

Keywords

• dementia
• awareness
• toning
• improvisation