“I Need to Calm Down, Let’s Figure Out How”
One goal area that frequently comes up when I work with clients is developing coping skills. Now more than ever, our coping skills are being put to the test & it’s so important to support our clients in this area. So, I wanted to share some free music therapy resources that I’m using to help clients identify their personal coping skills and how to incorporate them outside of sessions.
A few months ago, I had the privilege of talking with Stephanie Leavell from Music for Kiddos about all of the changes that have occurred this year and some of my intervention ideas. You can catch this discussion in the video below. ⬇
As I discussed in the video, families will often tell me about difficulties my clients have with coping skills, but I don’t always see that during sessions. Therefore, I try to equip my clients during sessions with songs, communication skills, and visual reminders that they can use when situations arise that I’m not present for. I mention too in my conversation with Stephanie that adults often seem to use the phrase “use your words,” but I think we need to step back and make sure that we’re teaching our clients the skills to be able to communicate their thoughts and feelings.
If you haven’t noticed yet from my email list, I LOVE songwriting and send out free songwriting templates every month. For coping skills, my favorite songwriting is using “You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift. I change the chorus to say “I need to calm down, let’s figure out how” and incorporated some breathing prompts, then use the verses to identify individualized coping strategies. I created a songwriting template with all of these changes to share & will be available in a link below.
Some ways to use “I Need to Calm Down” during sessions:
Play it upbeat with clients during sessions if they’re having a good mental health day. This gives them the opportunity to learn the words for later while still enjoying the day.
Slow down the chorus and sing the breathing prompts. Take time for deep breathing and relaxation.
To help equip your clients at home or outside of sessions, I’m also including a template for a coping skills visual. After writing your new song, add the coping skills ideas from the verses to this pie chart. When I made one for my client, I laminated it and added a fastener in the middle. Leave it with your client to utilize throughout the week as needed. Make sure you also provide them with their version of the songwriting so they have the lyrics to look back on.
An additional resource I discussed in the video is from Frozen 2 - the movie has change as a consistent theme & has a song called “Some Things Never Change.” I used this song as a basis to discuss stabilities that we can look to in the midst of ever-changing situations. This template is also available to download or print at the link below.
