My Coping Playlist

to watch video, https //www youtube com/watch?v= gdjkd25zfu intervention themes feelings expression, grief, loss, bereavement, transitions estimated time needed for activity 20 25 minutes recommended age range 10 17 materials needed if the child has a cellphone, they can use it for this activity if not, they can also use a tablet or share their screen to use youtube to answer their prompts therapist can also share their screen and search for music for client preparation prepare a set of prompts that can be used in the session that are based on the grief event related to the client below are some sample examples for different grief events death of loved one pick a song that gives you a happy memory about your loved one pick a song that expresses how you feel about losing your loved one pick a song that describes your relationship with your loved one divorced/separating parents pick a song that describes the feeling you have about your parents divorcing pick a song that describes your relationship with your mom pick a song that describes your relationship with your dad child welfare involved youth pick a song that describes how you feel being away from your family pick a song that reminds you of a happy memory of your family pick a song that describes how you feel about your relationship with your biological parents incarcerated parents pick a song that describes how you feel about your family member being in jail pick a song that reminds you of your family member who is in jail pick a song that you can listen to when you are missing your family member is in the jail therapeutic goals use music based play therapy to address grief & bereavement in children create a playlist to address grief symptoms in children analyze ways to integrate music play therapy into telehealth session description “my coping playlist” is a music play therapy activity that can be used to help children who are dealing with a type of grief/bereavement event this can include events like the death of a loved one, having an incarcerated family member, or being in the foster care system explain to them that they will be creating a playlist they can use to help them cope with their loss in the follow up session, you can check in with them to see if they needed to use their playlist since their last session have the child bring up their music app on their phone or tablet, or have them share their screen and go to youtube ask them one of the prompts you identified prior to the session ask them to play approximately 1 minute of their son ask them to explain why they chose that particular song have them write it down or add to their electronic playlist ask them another prompt continue until they have at least 4 5 songs on their playlist let them know they are welcome to add additional songs to their playlist at anytime discussion this activity is beneficial for the child to help express their emotions around the grief loss it will also provide something tangible they can use outside of sessions as a positive coping mechanism to manage their feelings about their loss for children who may be resistant to the activity, the therapist may choose a song that is related to a loss they feel comfortable communicating (e g the loss of a pet) for older children, they may be permitted to pick songs with profanity, which can be seen as appropriate as it is the honest and transparent expression of the child this also can communicate the level of rapport the child has with the therapist, as they feel comfortable playing songs they may not normally listen to around adults if songs with profanity are used, the therapist can use it as an opportunity to talk about the child’s connection with songs that are not often deemed “appropriate” for children processing questions why did you select this particular song? what emotion do you have when listening to this song? how do you think your loved one would feel about your playlist? when are some times you can use your coping playlist? are there any other songs you’d like to share that remind you of your loved one? about the creator, april duncan, dsw, lcsw, rpt s april duncan (dsw, lcsw, rpt s) obtained her bachelor’s in arts & science from the university of missouri columbia (2006), masters of social work from saint louis university (2012) and doctorate of social work from the university of southern california (2021) dr april is a racial trauma expert and the founder of bmh connect, an organization focusing on using play therapy to address racial trauma in black and latinx youth she also is an adjunct instructor in the online msw program at tulane university contact drapril\@bmhconnect com