23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

Therefore I think it is important for therapists - especially
music therapists to focus on the emotional side of
development, acknowledgement and learning,
integrated with the rational side of learning in their own
training in the formal education process - as basic tools
for their future profession work.
An important aspect of the work is to focus on the
students ablity to interchange between emotionality and
rationality.
The potential space
In the training we among other theories use Winnicott's
concept of "the potential space" (or "transitional area").
In the Teaching music therapy it is understood as the
range of individual and interrelational possibilities of
action, which the 'student clients' are able to use and be
in contact with in playing situations during a
1148
developmental proces. Developing means a widening of
the potential space.
The playground of the potential space changes with the
client group. For groups of 'student-clients' it is both the
group of students, they belong to, and the individual
music therapist who becomes a very important person
in the exploring and widening of the students'potential
space. The individual music therapist in a paradoxical
way becomes both
- a kind of partner at the student's disposition; a person
the student can relate to,
- a part of a teacher group in a program where the
student has to be evaluated and advised concerning
personal development for the future professional work.
The student's overall 'potential space' also includes
doing process work with psychical possibilities and
readyness parallel with the exercise of many musical