Perfect Moment Monday: Music to My Ears

My Perfect Moment for this week …

As a child taking piano lessons I enjoyed the social element it brought each week. My first piano teacher lived on a farm where she had goats, chickens, dogs and, well, just about anything else a person who wanted to be living off the land would have. My sister and I took lessons back to back: 30 minutes each for an hour a week. We also had two other sets of friends (two sisters and a brother/sister combo) that took lessons from the same teacher. Each week she would hold a group music therapy session where the six of us would work through work books of music reading/writing exercises. These normally would happen between our family hour-long lessons. The benefit? There was always someone to play with around the farm while you waited for your lesson.

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Goodwill and Social Media

The Internet has provided us with a free platform to market our products and services. Smart marketing, however, involves subtle techniques of convincing people you truly offer the best products or service because you are an expert in your niche. To build this kind of brand value you need to sound authoritative and knowledgeable. For instance, when you send out newsletters and emails, use a tone that says “I know what I am talking about” without sounding arrogant or pompous. Your posts on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites should also carry the same note of authority.

Sounds great, right? I know; it sounds wonderful to me too! As Therapy in Transition continues to move through the ebb and flow of its journey, I have come not only to live and breathe but also love the idea of social media and what it means to us as an organization. Originally I joined the world of Facebook to connect with family and friends who live at a distance, only to quickly learn that as a business we can also be connecting with current clients, potential clients and strategic partners. But navigating these new waters opened up a whole new world. Here are three concepts I’ve learned as a business owner and would like to share to hopefully allow you to embrace using social media a little more effectively.

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Depression: What’s Your Role?

It can be heartbreaking to see someone you love or care about crumble under depression. Often depressed people tend to withdraw from their own loved ones, thus making it even more difficult for friends and family to reach out to them. If you know someone who is depressed and want to do whatever you can to help him, you need to first ask yourself a few key questions. Does he want help? Does he even know he’s depressed? What role do I want to play in his healing journey? In addition to the following suggestions, you will want to do some research of your own to ensure you have the tools necessary to handle whatever may result from your stepping in; as with any illness, your role may be to simply recommend an independent support and not actively play a role. For your convenience, I’ve included a few recommended resources at the bottom of this article.

If you feel as though you must do something, then you need to ask yourself one final question: “What is my true motivation for needing to help?” If it is anything other than standing and showing your unconditional love for a friend, then directing that friend to professional help will be necessary. So now that you’ve worked through all the questions and your final answer is still, “I love my friend dearly and just want to make sure she knows I am here without judgment,” here are a few suggestions.

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