Mindfulness has become a popular trend in business, education, and health care but is often misunderstood. In this AMTA-Pro podcast, our music therapy colleague Anne Parker takes a look at mindfulness from various perspectives to understand how it can positively impact our practice as music therapists. Anne speaks about mindfulness in this AMTA-Pro podcast, and she was the featured speaker at the Carol Bitcon Memorial Lecture at the 2017 AMTA Conference in St. Louis, Missouri based on her experience as a music therapist for 40 years and as a student and teacher of mindfulness for over 20 years.

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What IS Mindfulness Anyway? The 2017 Carol Bitcon Lecture

Anne B. Parker, MA, MHSA, MT-BC

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Our music therapy colleague Anne Parker was featured at our 2017 AMTA Conference in St. Louis, Missouri as the speaker for the Carol Bitcon Memorial Lecture. Her topic, mindfulness, is a buzz work in business, education, and health care. Anne approaches the topic from a different perspective, based on her experience as a music therapist for 40 years and as a student and teacher of mindfulness for over 20 years. Her clinical experience as a music therapists is in psychiatric, rehab, and general hospitals as well as a private practice specializing in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music and integrative expressive arts approaches to wellness. Anne has served the Music Therapy profession in many capacities over the years including Chair and, later, Executive Director of the Certification Board for Music Therapists, Co-Chair of the AMTA Education and Training Advisory Board, and President of the Association for Music & Imagery. Anne was a featured presenter for the 2010 Library of Congress “Music and the Brain” series. She has presented CMTE workshops on a mindfulness paradigm for Music Therapy since 2007. Anne currently works as a Wellness Specialist at Miraval – the world-renowned, mindfulness-based wellness resort in Tucson, AZ.

When asked to recommend some resources related to mindfulness for music therapists, Anne commented, “There are so many! Here are a few of my favorites that are relevant and easily accessible.”

Mindfulness for Beginners – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Wherever You Go, There You Are – Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Mindful Brain – Daniel J. Siegel

Please click to access the slideshow accompanying Anne’s Carol Bitcon Memorial Lecture at the 2017 AMTA Conference in St. Louis:  Bitcon lecture podcast