me arts ed

Alan Wittenberg – Music Therapist

Alan Wittenberg, Music Therapist

So what is music therapy? Well, according to music therapist Alan Wittenberg’s website this is how he answers the question:

Music Therapy is an effective form of psychotherapy. It offers freedom of exploration and a new sense of self discovery as clients give sound and energy to emotions and issues that may be painful, confused or blocked. Each client is unique in terms of their psychological issues and special needs. Music therapy can reach clients that are resistant or relatively unresponsive to other treatment approaches.

Alan holds an M.A. and is a certified music therapist who provides individual and group sessions to clients of all ages at the Surry Music Therapy Center located at 8 Cross Road in Surry, ME. In fact, on Sunday, March 28th, Alan is having an open hourse, 3-5:00PM. If you attend you will learn more about his work and be treated to wine, cheese and other refreshments and of course, music. Please email Alan at alan@surrymusictherapy.com if you have questions.

Alan is teaching several courses in the next few months:

• Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders: Music Therapy and Sensory Integration Part I, Saturday March 27 and Part II, Saturday April 3, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, $60 per seminar or $100.00 for both.  Seminars being taught at the Surry Music Therapy Center. Point five CEU’s are available. Call Alan or email him to register 667-1308.                                                                                                      Course Description: These carefully structured seminars will be of value to therapists, educators, ed. techs, administrators, university students, direct-care staff members, and family members. Seminars include video illustrations, workshop activities and activity ideas, question and answer periods, as well as in-depth resource handouts.
  Learning outcomes include:
  •  Gain an overview of the field of music therapy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and illustrate sensory experience and processing via musical activity.
  •  Experience music therapy by participating in vocal, instrumental and movement workshop activities
  •  Discuss different music therapy approaches and see how these integrate with allied health and educator goals that can be creatively adapted and employed in treatment and in the classroom.
  •  Compile a list of music therapy activities and resources to integrate within clinical, educational, pre-school and residential settings

• MUS 298/MUS 510 Music as Therapy – Special Needs Children & Youth, Hutchinson Center, Belfast, 3 credits, intensive week June 29 through July 3, 8:30 AM -4:00 PM.                                                                                                   Course Description: This course will engage and inform students about the clinical, developmental and rehabilitative field of music therapy.  Music therapy will be illustrated as an integrative approach that targets goals and objectives central to health professions such as occupational and physical therapy, nursing, counseling and psychology as well as elementary and special education, and infant mental health. Conceptual and practical models of music therapy will be discussed and demonstrated. Music therapy as a creative, active treatment modality that has the potential to stimulate and motivate a wide range of disabilities and learning delays will be highlighted by readings, discussion, experiential activities, video illustrations and web based research.
  Music therapy will also be explored in collaboration with the fields of counseling, psychology and nursing as music reflects our personal and interpersonal styles of communication and is another way to express our creativity and spontaneity and heighten our self-awareness. Concepts such as critical thinking and active listening, so important to future employment, career satisfaction and success will be emphasized.
  Functional mobility, motor skills, posture, muscle tone, extension, range of motion, eye hand coordination, respiration, sensory integrative skills as well as the enhancement, retrieval, or acquisition of cognitive, communicative and interpersonal skills are some of the clinical and rehabilitative goal areas that will be emphasized and illustrated as shared / trans – disciplinary areas pertinent to health professions such as occupational and physical therapy, nursing, as well as counseling, education and music therapy.

This course is being taught by Alan, please contact him with questions at alan@surrymusictherapy.com and check his website for information http://www.surrymusictherapy.com. To register please go to the Hutchinson Center website at http://www.hutchinsoncenter.umaine.edu or email the Assistant Director nancyb@maine.edu