56 episodes
Not Your Average Music Therapist Kim Best
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- Business
Not Your Average Music Therapist is a space for music therapists who feel out of place or out of sorts to come together. Music therapy is a small field that faces lots of challenges. Why not go through these things together?! Kim Best is your host and will share stories, thoughts, and ideas around being the not very average music therapist herself. We’ll talk about wanting to leave the field, feeling like a phony, exploring new avenues, and other things on Kim’s mind. Guests will be invited on the podcast to share their stories and experiences within and outside the music therapy field. Listen in if you’re feeling kinda alone, and hopefully you’ll feel less alone through these episodes. Connect with us on Instagram here: @musictherapistpod
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Red Flags of Music Therapy Businesses
This episode is real, raw, and oh so honest. Many of us have had less-than-ideal experiences working for other music therapists, and we’re here to spill the tea. Please know that these are our personal experiences, thoughts, and perspectives. I truly hope there are music therapy businesses out there doing things differently, but for now we will open the conversation up so that maybe, just maybe another music therapist won’t go through what we’ve each been through.
Just a note, this episode was recorded in 2023.
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Head over to kimbest.substack.com to share your thoughts and see what other people are saying about this episode!
>>>>>>Take a look at the Survey Results
Notes from the episode ⬇️
Links:
Shannon’s podcast, Casually Green on Spotify
Pros and Cons of Subcontracting, episode with Tricia Caiati from Care Chronicles Podcast
Therapeutic crisis intervention
MIT living wage calculator
Topics from the episode:
What are the worst things you went through in music therapy jobs?
What kept you in music therapy?
How to fall in love with it again.
Why it doesn’t work (MTs having employees)
Is happiness in our jobs possible?
Business ownership solo vs having employees
Abundance mindset vs scarcity
Thoughts for the music therapy business owners
Advice for new professionals:
Sense of self outside of music therapy
Network and support system
Trust yourself and your experiences
Personal wellness checklist at the end of the survey
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Connect with the guests in this episode!
Jules Joyce
Pronouns: she/they
FB: Juliana Rose
Instagram: @_jujujules11
Cheyenna Eagle
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email: cheyennaeagle@gmail.com
FB: Cheya-Rain Eagle
Instagram: @cheyarain
Shannon Ogden
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Instagram: @shannon_mtbc
If you’d like to share your story, email hello@kimbest.com.
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If you’d like to join the “pod” that supports this podcast, go to patreon.com/kimbest.
And here are some extra links for you:
kimbest.com for resources and added support for music therapists
Instagram: @kimberlyjanebest, @musiccanhelp, @nymusictherapy, @musictherapistpod
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Tenacity, flute in sessions, career path, and jumbo guitar picks
I recorded this in April, right after World Music Therapy week. So, enjoy all things music therapy in this episode!
Here are some of the topics discussed.
-using flute in music therapy sessions
-adults with dementia using jumbo guitar picks
-QUESTION: “I really love the field of music therapy, but I’m not sure if I’m going to be a good music therapist. Any advice?”
-QUESTION: “mt intern here! do you recommend being a contract MT or being hired by a facility and why?”
-QUESTION: “What is one thing you like about yourself?”
-QUESTION: “How did you decide to become a music therapist?”
Send in your own anonymous question: https://ngl.link/kimberlyjanebest1
Check out Patreon: patreon.com/kimbest
Read some creative writing: kimbest.substack.com
Kim on Instagram: instagram.com/kimberlyjanebest -
Taking Time Off (and accompanying guilt)
How the heck do we take time off???? Let’s get to the heart of the matter in this episode with a follow-up reference guide that you can download for free.
Instagram post referenced in the episode:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1SQN9YxiC2/?igsh=cGUyZ3dqc2MyZXg5
Articles on the Mother Wound:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addiction-and-recovery/201910/the-mother-wound
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/un-numb/202311/mending-the-mother-wound
Take Time Off REFERENCE:
kimbest.com/resources
Substack: https://kimbest.substack.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kimbest (let’s be pen-pals!)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyjanebest
Email: hello@kimbest.com -
Welcome to 2.0 - take a moment to breathe
The podcast is back up! Enjoy this episode that provides some space for you to recognize your growth, breathe, and look lovingly into the rest of the year.
To read my writings: kimbest.substack.com
To become a BFF behind the scenes: patreon.com/kimbest
kimbest.com for resources, products, and added support for music therapists
…and Instagram:
@kimberlyjanebest on Instagram
@musiccanhelp on Instagram
@nymusictherapy on Instagram
@musictherapistpod for this podcast on Instagram -
Pros and Cons of Subcontracting with Tricia Caiati, MT-BC
In this episode, Tricia and I chat about subcontracting and our many opinions and experiences with contract-style work. We dive into the model of private practice music therapy businesses, and I offer a new model of business that I am excited to see unfold and develop. This is the first time I am sharing this new model publicly, and I hope you are inspired to try new things in your life and work to make each day more fulfilling.
Find Tricia online:
@care-chronicles on Instagram
Care-chronicles.com
Email: hello@care-chronicles
And all the links that I had mentioned:
kimbest.com for resources and support for music therapists
@kimberlyjanebest on Instagram
@musiccanhelp on Instagram
@nymusictherapy on Instagram
@musictherapistpod for this podcast on Instagram -
Program Development
I have had my share of proposing music therapy programs, networking with administrators, and giving presentations to anyone who will listen.
These years have given me insight into the most important parts of the process - what actually matters. I care about your time and our sustainability as a profession, so in this conversation I break down the key pieces that really matter.
Find the powerpoint slides here as a PDF.
Hope you walk away with ideas and next steps!
P.S. I have just started up my Patreon Page, so check it out! It’s a place where you get behind-the-scenes, early and exclusive access, and conversations with like-minded beautiful people, As a patron, you get to choose which tier you want to be - the $10/month tier is probably my favorite because you get a letter of encouragement in the mail and get to call yourself a “pen-pal.” It just makes me smile! There are other options as well which offer you coaching, art in the mail, etc. Can’t wait to build our little community over there!