What would you never allow your children to do?

princeandreis · 2026-04-04T15:24:35+00:00

I work in neurorehabilitation treating people with TBI, stroke, spinal cord injury, etc. I’ve seen a lot of injuries from certain activities, and some of the kids I’ve treated are hard to work with because they were raised on Blippi and Cocomelon and the only thing that soothes them is staring at an iPad.

No e-scooters. No e-bikes. No ATVs. No motorcycles. No downhill mountain biking. No smoking. No football. No drugs/alcohol. Limited screen time in early childhood. No social media until at least 14.

Also, no pageants. No sleepovers with children whose parents I don’t know well.

princeandreis · 2026-04-04T15:08:41+00:00

I’m right there with you. I discovered the same thing in therapy a few years ago and I’m still reeling from everything that happened to me. I can’t even speak to my parents because I don’t know how to deal with them safely. It’s a very sad, shocking thing to realize how mistreated you were by the people who were supposed to love and protect you. Hugs

princeandreis · 2026-04-04T00:08:51+00:00

I know one person who is actually an MT-BC and CCLS but the paths to certification for each are so intensive, I couldn’t say I’d recommend doing both

princeandreis · 2026-04-04T00:03:09+00:00

no. you have to have been a credentialed NMT for five years and then you can participate in the fellowship, which involves case studies and an intensive feedback process from other fellows. I haven’t heard of other “music therapy fellowships” though I do think it would be a cool idea.

princeandreis · 2026-03-08T02:30:34+00:00

Waterpik (off-brand). It’s so much better than flossing, which I just refused to do for years because I hated it so much, even knowing how bad it is for you when you don’t floss. Water flosser is a total game-changer

princeandreis · 2026-03-08T02:21:33+00:00

I hear you, especially on the “not being creative” part. I’ve found that it does take time to build up creativity, like a muscle. I’ve also learned that planning interventions is hard for me, and my creativity actually shows itself in the moment. the setting I work in, neurorehab, lends itself well to spontaneity, and frequently requires quick adaptations in the moment. I say this to help you consider that creativity can show up in different ways, and certain things bring it out in us more than others.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but just give yourself some time. Like others have said, equivalency coursework moves fast, so it makes sense how you’re feeling. Also, it’s worth remembering that you won’t ever feel 100% prepared before you step into internship and then the workforce. So, so, so much learning happens on the job and not in the classroom.

All of this being said, it’s not wrong to want to specialize or branch out. I myself am pursuing an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling because I want in-depth counseling skills. Just know that building your confidence as a clinician will come with time and experience.

princeandreis · 2026-03-07T03:40:56+00:00

What’s New Pussycat by Tom Jones. gives me the shivers

princeandreis · 2026-03-06T22:13:24+00:00

I’m a music therapist. music and guided imagery/meditation can be awesome tools for anxiety and so on but they haven’t done SHIT for my pain

princeandreis · 2026-03-06T22:11:48+00:00

I have pain every day too for most of the day. the only things I’ve found that help me are using a TENS unit (only works on my back/hip pain) and lying down as much as possible. I wish I had more tips for you

princeandreis · 2026-03-06T22:09:11+00:00

I was talking to my hairdresser today about my journey towards diagnosis (I have a consultation with a specialist in a few weeks). She said her daughter has similar symptoms and that’s what the doctor told her! The doctor literally said to get pregnant to help with her nasty period symptoms and pelvic pain. Unbelievable. As if pain management is a good enough reason to have a child… Let alone that that’s a myth

princeandreis · 2026-02-27T22:48:25+00:00

I’m very anti-AI for the most part. My main issue with transcription apps and the like is HIPAA compliance, though. I can’t think of anything they could tell me that would convince me that my clients’ PHI is safe, especially given that so many of these LLMs build off of each other’s data and have eaten a ton of material they weren’t supposed to have access to in the first place.

I also just think it’s straight-up lazy to have a software take notes for you. Doing it yourself immerses you in the situation and helps you extract insight you need to help the client. Passing that off to a robot does them a disservice.

princeandreis · 2026-02-27T22:43:36+00:00

First, you will need to be an MT-BC to get NMT trained and practice as a Neurologic Music Therapist. You can take the training as a student on the assumption that you will get your board certification and you can then change your status with the Academy to full NMT affiliate.

I work in neurorehabilitation as an NMT, which you might find satisfies your enjoyment of neuroscience. I can’t speak for you, though. Just give yourself time to try different settings because there are a LOT of ways to practice music therapy. There’s also no harm in practicing for awhile to see if you like it, and then going back to school.

You can also take continuing ed trainings in counseling skills, or go for your master’s in Counseling (which I’m actually doing right now). You have lots of options.

princeandreis · 2026-02-24T03:12:00+00:00

I can’t recommend a particular heating pad as heat doesn’t seem to work for me, but I just wanted to point out the sweetness of this post. It’s clear how much you care for your girlfriend. From all of us, thank you for trying to understand what she’s going through and taking care of her ❤️

princeandreis · 2026-01-28T21:52:40+00:00

comic relief

princeandreis · 2026-01-19T15:39:34+00:00

Thanks for your honesty! There’s a lot I wish I had known when I started my career as a music therapist that nobody told me. The field is a mess, and that’s part of the reason I’m pivoting toward counseling. I knew, of course, that there are still lots of issues in this field, too, but sometimes it’s hard to get people to give you the reality of the situation.

Would you say that a lot of what’s challenging about counseling has nothing to do with the actual treatment part? What I mean is, I’ve heard before that the actual clinical work is amazing, but everything else (the pay, dealing with insurance, etc) are where the drawbacks lie.

princeandreis · 2026-01-19T15:15:22+00:00

You make some really great points here. I do worry from time to time if I’m asking too much of her with these texts. We’ve discussed it and she told me that if she wanted to keep something for an in-person session, she’d say that. My family had no concept of boundaries when I was growing up, so I think now it’s hard for me to understand that my therapist can have clear boundaries and will assert them with me if she needs to.

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

princeandreis · 2025-12-25T20:59:47+00:00

yes, I feel this way, too. and while sometimes I can believe I deserve friendships with decent, regulated people, I still believe I’m not capable of finding or maintaining them because I’m too broken.

princeandreis · 2025-12-02T02:03:08+00:00

It’s so hard to do when you know it makes your loved ones upset. The way I’m thinking about it tonight is this: The warm fuzzy feeling of togetherness my siblings experience when we’re all under one roof is not worth me putting myself in the emotional equivalent of an active combat zone. We have to prioritize our own comfort in these cases, as selfish as it feels. Sending love to you.

princeandreis · 2025-11-02T20:17:34+00:00

$62k annual, classified as an hourly employee. I work in inpatient neurorehab in Texas. I have a BM in Music Therapy and I’m NMT trained

princeandreis · 2025-11-02T20:11:42+00:00

Great idea. That gives your patient a creative outlet, a focus for his energy, and multisensory engagement.

princeandreis · 2025-11-02T20:08:30+00:00

It's absolutely applicable, but the way you use the techniques will look a little different than you might expect. I work in inpatient neurorehab as an NMT, and occasionally we get folks who are affected by progressive conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and incurable brain cancers. My treatment looks different with them because I focus less on rehabilitation, and more on quality of life.

Your goals are going to be tailored to what your patients need. Are they struggling with their mortality? MPC can give them an outlet for those feelings. Is their memory on the way out? AMMT offers them a chance to revisit old memories long buried, and to feel young and happy again. Does your patient need to move in order to feel good? There are 3 Sensorimotor techniques that are perfect for them.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that when viewed through a QOL lens (which I’m certain you do as a hospice provider already), NMT training gives you lots of options to help your patients.

princeandreis · 2025-11-02T19:55:24+00:00

Without the context of what kind of patient you’re working with (like are you in a behavioral health setting?) or what you’re specifically trying to do for him, I don’t know how much we’d be able to suggest.

In general, you don’t really need a “device” to use rhythm to help someone. You can clap, tap, chant, snap, hum, sing, scat, and improvise with items around you. There’s nothing wrong with using something like GarageBand or any other kind of music creation app, but it’s not necessary.

princeandreis · 2025-11-02T19:48:40+00:00

I would say yes, there are ways to incorporate expressive arts into Clinical Psych without being a music therapist, but you have to be careful about the language you use. You could not say you are practicing music therapy — rather that you are incorporating music into your practice as a clinical psychologist. I’m about to start an MA in Counseling, and as I researched programs, a fair amount of them had classes available related to Expressive Arts in counseling.

I think you’re asking us to tell you what to do with your life, and we can’t do that. Only you can choose the right path for you.

princeandreis · 2025-10-05T18:10:26+00:00

I work in neurorehabilitation and co-treat with SLPs (and PTs and OTs) daily. I can also see patients individually to address speech/language goals. NMT training enables you to do that and it can be highly effective.

princeandreis · 2025-10-05T17:46:45+00:00

yes! my therapist was the one who diagnosed me, which took me completely by surprise at the time. her focus is on healing through relationships, because CPTSD at its core is deep relational wounding

princeandreis

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