Basic verbal skills are necessary for effective and competent practice at every level of music therapy. This innovative new text provides a clear and practical foundation for understanding how words and verbalization can be used in a variety of ways in music therapy to meet the individual needs of each client across a range of settings. The focus is on giving music therapy students and young professionals a roadmap for deciding why, when, and how to use basic verbal skills in their work. Music therapy educators will find it particularly useful with its clear framework, clinical scenarios, and samples of word use that are directly tied to music therapy scope and level of practice. The book takes an inventive approach to understanding how to make informed clinical decisions on using words and gives examples and exercises within four different categories of verbalization - Verbal Framing, Verbal Exchanges, Verbal Interactions, and Verbal Interventions. Chapters also look concisely at defining communication, reviewing current music therapy literature on verbal skills, and understanding how verbalization fits into scope of practice, ethical standards, and music therapy regulations. The final chapters examine the influence of music on words, and words on music. Each chapter also includes exercises to help readers reflect, increase word repertoire, and rehearse verbal skills. CONTENTS Introduction
Chapter 1: Communication, Music, and Verbal Expression COMMUNICATION
LANGUAGE
MUSIC
GESTURES AND PHYSICAL ACTIONS
VERBAL EXPRESSION
SPEECH
Chapter 2: Verbalization in Music Therapy Literature
Chapter 3: Words and Music in Music Therapy Scope of Practice
Chapter 4: Words in Music Therapy Levels of Practice
Chapter 5: Words and Music as Agents of Change
Chapter 6: Client Needs and Verbalization in Music Therapy
Chapter 7: Verbal Skills Basics for Music Therapists WORDS, LANGUAGE, AND COGNITION
LISTENING
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
DETERMINING COMMUNICATIVE INTENT
ETHICAL PRACTICE
Chapter 8: Verbal Framing CREATING THE IMAGE
INITIATING THE SPOKEN GREETING
SETTING THE TONE
DEFINING THE EXPERIENCE
OUTLINING EXPECTATIONS
ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES
GIVING DIRECTIONS
SUMMARY
Chapter 9: Verbal Exchanges ENTERING THE CLINICAL SPACE
GATHERING INFORMATION
CREATING THE CONTRACT
DEFINING BOUNDARIES
DECIDING ON ROLES
SUMMARY
Chapter 10: Verbal Interactions CREATING AND SUSTAINING THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
EMPATHY
RESPECT
FINDING CONNECTIONS
INTIMACY
VALIDATING NEGATIVE PROJECTIONS
SHARING MEANINGFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MUSIC EXPERIENCE
COMMUNICATING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CONTENT RELATED TO THE MUSIC
FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
REPHRASING
TRANSLATING COMMUNICATION OR RESPONSES
SUMMARY
Chapter 11: Verbal Interventions VERBAL INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES
CONNECTING
PROBING
CLARIFYING
INTERPRETING
DISCLOSING
CONFRONTING
SUMMARIZING
SUMMARY
Chapter 12: Understanding Words Through Music PACING
INFLECTION
TIMBRE
ARTICULATION
STRUCTURE
Chapter 13: Understanding Music Through Words
Chapter 14: Final Words
References | 
