When a Music Therapist Grieves

摘要

When my brother died suddenly at the age of 34, I had been working as a hospice music therapist for over 6 years. Understanding the grief process intellectually was quite different from experiencing it. I felt overwhelmed by facing the loss and grief of others at work, while I was still in shock about my brother's death. Over time, the grieving process took so much out of me that I did not feel I had enough emotional energy to work with people who were dying and their loved ones. I began to have doubts: Can I be an effective therapist for my clients when I'm struggling with my own grief? Is it ethical for me to practice as a hospice music therapist right now? A year after my brother's death I met a patient who was suffering from the trauma of war. Witnessing her recovery changed the way I thought about my grief and my role as a therapist. In the end, it was the work itself that helped me understand and work through my grief.