Blog #26 義務音樂治療情緒支援感想 Reflection of Voluntary Emotional Support Session
上星期我們三位音樂治療師發起了義務情緒支援, 這個經驗值得記錄下來. 幫助他人之餘, 我亦當中有十分大的反思.
我看着幾位參加者, 進來的時候面部表情十分沮喪, 說所有的事情令他們的思緒混亂, 令人不能平靜下來, 而影響各樣日常生活. 平靜-可能是現在每一個人也想要的. 如何在混亂的環境中找回平靜可能是身處這個社會這一時刻的藝術. 真正的平靜可能是需要從內至外, 平靜可能是一個刻意性的選擇. 當環境不能轉變, 我們的心態卻能改變, 我們選擇定睛在哪裏? 這個決定直接影響我們的情緒. 我們選擇時時刻刻地追隨新聞, 還是選擇當中畫出一個屬於自己的空間, 這個沒有人能夠騷擾你, 沒有人能夠侵佔你思想的空間?
情緒是需要抒發出來, 音樂能夠繞過我們的理智, 直接觸動內心. 音樂能夠作為一個容器, 盛載了流露出來的情緒. 看見參加者慢慢在音樂中面容逐漸鬆開, 慢慢投入音樂能給他們的壓力釋放, 進入了一個屬於他們的音樂空間.
除了找回平靜, 我也留意到有些人其實在這刻更加需要找回自己. 種種外界的聲音, 包括朋友家人社會的聲音可能和我們自己的聲音有很大出入. 壓力和情緒也有可能在聲音矛盾中產生出來. 在這刻我們需要知道自己的價值, 我是有選擇權的, 我能夠選擇自己的想法和行為.
音樂本身就有治療功效, 我們身為音樂治療師的角色其實就是去運用各樣音樂元素, 釋放音樂的力量. 盛載了流露出來的情緒, 利用音樂給參加者一個平靜的空間, 一個能夠安靜下來, 不被任何人或事影響而作出反思的空間, 一個能夠面對自己內心世界, 一個能夠找回自己長處和價值的空間.
A few days ago we initiated a volunteer music therapy session for emotional support regarding the event that has happened last week. This experience is worth noting down and I particularly found a lot of insights while helping others.
There are participants who came in looking depressed, explaining that the things happening right now in HK has made them restless, the emotions are disturbing their daily functioning. Peace- perhaps that’s what everyone want at this particular moment. How do we find peace in the midst of chaos is quite an art to master at this specific point in time in this society of Hong Kong. True peace might need to be found from the inside out. Peace might be a deliberate choice, when environment cannot be changed, we have a choice to change our inner world. Where do we put our focus? This decision can directly affect our emotion. Do we choose to following tightly the news and be affected by what we see and hear? Or do we choose to separate out a space that truly belong to us, a space without any outside disturbance, a space that truly belong to us and cannot be invaded by anyone else??
Emotion is something to be released and expressed. Music can bypass our cognitive and go straight to our hearts. Music can act as a container, containing the released emotions. I see participants gradually releasing their facial and body tension in music, gradually getting into the space where music can help to relieve their stress, entering into a space that belongs to them.
Apart from finding peace, I also noticed that perhaps some people need to find themselves in this specific point in time. Many different voices coming from friends, family and society might contradict to our own voices. Stress and emotions might result from such forces of conflicts. But we need to know who we are, what our self values are. We do have a choice, we do have the right to choose our own thoughts and our behaviour.
Music itself is therapy, we as music therapists simply unleash the power of music by utilizing different musical elements. Using music to contain released emotions, giving participants a musical space filled with peace, a space where one can quieten down, a space that is totally undisturbed by other’s thoughts and action, a space where one can honestly look at the inner world and reflect, a space that can find oneself including their strength and value. A space to just be.