Sometimes it takes a mindset shift to think of ourselves as blessed. We are moving along quietly in our daily activities, just doing what needs to be done. But we need to find moments to focus on the blessings we do have and practice gratitude for these privileges.
It is a privilege to be safe at home with access to clean water and food.
It is a privilege to be able to go outside to connect with nature.
It is a privilege to have the capacity to move your body and exercise.
It is a privilege to be able to afford therapy, health and wellness services.
Virtual Services Help Reduce Geographical Barriers
For Find Your Voice Music Therapy it’s been a blessing to be of service to the Katarokwi/ Kingston, ON, K’jipuktuk/ Halifax, NS, and now virtually to all Canadians. There are many clients who are now able to attend virtual sessions instead of facing the barriers of time, distance and travel cost for in person services.
We have been able to help many more. Yet, through our work, we have seen that having access to therapy services (online or in person) is a privilege and it is simply not accessible to all Canadians.
Support from Community Helps Reduce Many Barriers
There are many barriers to accessing therapy services such as:
- not being able to afford therapy,
- lacking the cognitive abilities or energy to research, connect with, schedule therapy services,
- limited or non-existent access to transportation and/or technology,
- not having the knowledge or support to use technology,
- among many others.
Support from loved ones can help with many of the above barriers. Just making a phone call to book an appointment, driving someone to their session, or helping someone use a computer can be monumental in getting that client the help they need. Once they can access therapy services, many other barriers are reduced as well.
Again, it’s important to note that everyone does not have access to a personal support system. We, in community, must reflect on ways that we can take care of one another and continue to do the work in breaking societal barriers with being able to access health care and therapy services.
Funding Helps Reduce Financial Barriers
At Find Your Voice Music Therapy it is of utmost importance to us that we focus on providing financial support to those individuals from marginalized communities, low income households, those who are unemployed/ underemployed, or uninsured/ underinsured as well as facilities doing their best to work within low health programming budgets.
We are blessed to have recently received funding in areas of: Mental Health, Seniors in Isolation, Transgender and Non-Binary Folkx and look forward to implementing services made possible by this funding in 2021.
Consider the Gift of Music Therapy as an Expression of Your Gratitude
This is most certainly not the end of the work or the journey with accessibility to therapy services. There are still many people who are experiencing barriers. You can help.
Please share this blog and Find Your Voice Music Therapy’s other content to help us reach as many people in need as possible. If you know of someone who could benefit from music therapy, but may be facing one or more barriers, offer to help them reach out.
And if you are financially able, please consider giving to the Gift of Music Therapy program. We appreciate your partnership as we continue to work toward the elimination of barriers to therapy services within our many communities.