Krylyn Peters

If you want to bump up against someone’s fear and anxiety within a couple seconds, tell them they are going to sing…in front of other people. You can see it in their widening eyes, hear that sharp inhale, and see their body stiffen. Then, they utter one of the most notorious four letter words in a typical phrase I hear as people cautiously enter the room at one of my “Songwriting for Mental Health” workshops: “I can’t sing.” The words sound almost apologetic, like a foreshadowing of expected failure, perhaps a reminder of memories and criticisms past.

Why do you listen to music? To feel better? To calm down? To get more energy? To connect with others who feel the same way you do or who have experienced the same thing you have? Whatever the reason, know that music can provide these benefits and more.

How many times to do you hear people talking about being stuck? Stuck in relationships. Stuck in financial situations. Stuck in jobs. Stuck in thoughts. Stuck in fear. Stuckness seems to be an epidemic. But we, as counselors, know that the idea of being stuck is really more about perspective and less about all that other stuff.

I would like to continue with the second Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) tenet used to help individuals create new positive neural pathways; developing new ways of thinking and being.To recap, these tenets are love, touch, relationships and experiential learning. Todays message is on the power of touch in AAT.

As an undergraduate, I was fascinated with my communications classes. So much so that I had almost enough credits for a double major along with my psychology degree. Perhaps it was because I grew up confused in a household where what was said was rarely what was meant, but I was amazed to find out how much of our communication is done without words. And I continue to be amazed at the power of nonverbal communication to this day.