I am very excited to announce, YogaSong, a class that mindfully weaves together yoga and song. Specifically, our YogaSong class will begin Thursday, December 11th at 7 PM at the offices of Malec, Herring & Krause in Mars, PA.

I describe, YogaSong, as a mindful and sensitive integration of seated yoga practice with the singing of simple songs and chants. During each hour-long YogaSong class Barbara and I will guide participants through a series of gentle movements and simple songs with the intention of honoring each participants specific body and mind goals. People have reported that this flowing integrative practice has brought deepening relaxation, stress reduction, and practical strategies to manage the challenges experienced in a busy life.

YogaSong comes out of the collaboration and friendship between Barbara Pane, LCSW, CYT www.barbarapane.com and me (Aaron Teague, MA, MT-BC, LPC). Barbara and I began this collaborative work while serving people with complex mental health problems and have since taken this flowing mindful practice into the community offering it as means of self-care and mindfulness practice to helping professionals in several different settings.

Now, we are now excited to bring the practice of YogaSong to the larger community. Specifically, we will begin December 11th providing this class monthly at the offices of Malec, Herring & Krause in Mars, PA. Space in this class is limited so please call 724-772-4949 to register before December 11th. The cost of each class is $20. Please note this class happens regularly on the second Thursday of each month from 7 - 8 PM.

More about Barbara & Aaron

Barbara Pane, LCSW, CYT is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and yoga teacher/therapist. As a psychotherapist, Barbara specializes in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT is recognized as one of the third-wave mindfulness based cognitive behavioral therapies. She works with individuals, teens, families, and groups. As a yoga therapist, Barbara appreciates the value of yoga as a tool to deepen self-awareness, self-care and self-acceptance. You can find out more about Barbara at her recently re-launched web-site www.barbarapane.com

For more information about Aaron K. Teague, MA, MT-BC, LPC please click on the "About Us" tab on our home page www.musicjourney.net

Thanks so much for reading and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about YogaSong or the other services provided by Music Journey. Stay-tuned for a series of posts detailing the arts based services that Music Journey provides in Western Pennsylvania and around the world via the web.

Love & Light to you,

Aaron

I recently completed supervisory work with a young therapist and this has given me cause to stop and reflect on supervision both as a recipient of supervision and as a clinical supervisory. I sometimes imagine this as the helping hand, helping mind, and helping heart of the supervisor assisting the supervisee to reflect and ponder on her/his work with client(s). Sometimes my hands are gesturing toward some piece of information and sometimes my guidance is reflective of the nuances of the work not yet spoken. As I work as in supervision with the arts, it seems that the stories shared become enlivened in the arts and this brings new possibilities and perspectives to mind for the supervisee.

 My work as a supervisor is very rewarding and a way I give something back to others professionally. The rewards are many and some of them include refreshment, surprise, inspiration, and gratitude. I've found a level of renewal and refreshment from assisting another professional find some degree of success and helpfulness with her/his client. It seems like at times simply listening is huge help and other times a suggestion or simple reflection provides a glimmer of hope with a particularly tough clinical situation. Another wonderful reward in supervision has been the moments of surprise a moment where we are stopped and stunned in the supervisory process. The best of these moments are when when the supervisee says they trusted some "gut" feeling or her/he says "I finally understood my client this week". I think those are moments of real benefit for the supervisee and the client. Another reward for me as a clinical supervisors has to do with the moments of inspiration that I've received when the person I'm supervising shares something that gives me some hope and inspires my excitement about our clinical work or I feel impact in my own life. Lastly, I say gratitude is the real heart of the matter of supervision for me today. I have been the witness and co-traveler "walking beside" the supervisee in a particular way and felt my heart warmed and opened more during each encounter and this reminds me of the sacred opportunity the work of supervision is to me.

As a recipient of clinical supervision, I say THANKS. My supervisory life has been most colorful; specifically I've received such varied and creative supervision from many different professionals. I send this thanks to many supervisors in the many realms and roles including the music therapists, dance therapists, social workers, counselors, art therapists, psychologists and expressive arts therapists who have helped me along my way. All those wise and honest people have helped me to become the helper that I am today. In my own supervision, I have found enormous help when a supervisor has a easy way of balancing supportive with challenging questions, balancing teaching with a bit of a critique, and a balancing their memories with their broader view as a seasoned professional. I remember some of those early supervisions where my supervisor hearing my doubts urged me to claim some success in a particular session or the time where a supervisor very directly told me that I was "too hesitant" and my client's would be better served with some more articulate actions. The stories and learning are many and my debt to so many supervisors is large.

Closing this post for the week, I want to send big thanks to many people. I send big thanks to all the supervisee's who have asked me for a help and for all those supervisors who have helped me see the bigger picture and the wider view of a clinical situation. In reflecting now, I see how my professional growth and development as a music therapist, expressive arts therapists, and counselor have been lovingly nurtured in relationships with many wonderful people.

With deep thanks,

Aaron

Music Journey's music therapist, Nicole Hahna, was interviewed for an article in the Ellwood City Ledger by Patti Stone. The article highlighted Music Journey's focus on the use of The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery & Music (GIM) in working with clients with various psychological needs. In the interview, Nicole discussed her use of GIM with survivors of abuse, trauma, and domestic violence. 

To read the full article, go to: http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/local_news/music-therapy-can-help-with-psychological-issues/article_fe9137c5-14b3-5f91-873c-ae20a7a0815f.html.

Additionally, Nicole was interviewed by WESA, Pittsburgh's NPR Station, for her work as Co-Chair of the PA Task Force on Occupational Regulation of Music Therapy. As Co-Chair, Nicole helped to organize 2 Music Therapy Resolutions sponsored by Senator Folmer and Representative Deasy as part of the 2nd Annual PA Music Therapy Hill Day. 

To read the full article, go to: http://wesa.fm/post/pa-house-and-senate-recognize-music-therapy.