Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I want to thank you for your supportive replies and private messages regarding the deletion of my posts and subsequent banishment from the Early Childhood Music Therapy Network Facebook page. Regardless of whether or not one agrees with the opinions that I have expressed there, it should be possible to engage in a reasoned and respectful scholarly debate about treatment issues of such great importance to the profession of music therapy and, more importantly, to the clients who benefit from our services. This embracing of various viewpoints is especially important within a group that was an outgrowth of efforts within the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).
I am currently formulating a more formal response to this situation and I would appreciate your support when that response is made public. It is neither ethical nor collegial to use one’s official capacity to privilege certain forms of treatment over others. This is a vital issue that affects all of us, regardless of our areas of clinical work.
Thanks again,
John Carpente
John, I stand behind you all the way. We’ve seen the abuse of authority within professional organizations (and more globally) over the years, and it needs to be eradicated.
Thank you, Susan. Agreed! So tired of the self-serving agendas.
I find this situation most dismaying. One should, indeed, be free to express diverse perspectives within an open forum of colleagues, even when those perspectives may not resonate with one or more of those colleagues, including those with administrative authority over the forum. It is my sincere hope that this situation resolves favorably, and that the very important principle of open communication/dialogue is affirmed.
Thanks, Brian. I hope for the same thing!
Thanks again,
John
As a developmentally based speech pathologist, I am most disturbed to hear about this. I am obviously not part of that Facebook group, but I have experienced pushback from professional organizations for my views on DIR over ABA, and find that frankly, individuals can be exceptionally narrow minded, and it seems would rather silence a differing view point rather than engage and explore it. It is concerning that a few seem to have such a great voice, because they seem to be considered the “norm” and we as DIR practitioners are considered to be outliers and therefore somewhat “abnormal.” I am happy to support any public statement made. Good luck.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks so much for your post and support- much appreciated! Let’s continue to spread the word and to help carry on Dr. Greenspan’s legacy!
Best,
John
John-
I have not been a friend on this Facebook page prior to now and do not know the history behind this incident. However, I am appalled that anyone posting would be subject to approval. If the page is interested in supporting a particular point of view or treatment modality, perhaps their page name should reflect their bias.
Having gone through your training and getting to know you, I have only the highest regard for your work and professionalism. You are truly a leader in our field and are positively impacting many lives, clients and therapists alike. If they are this threatened by your work, you must be onto something great. BTW- I would be interested to read your posts that they deleted.
Dear Mindy,
Thank you for your kind words and support. Unfortunately I don’t have the original posts as I never expected this incident to occur. I’m currently working on a more formal response that will include the details of the post, and will be made public.
Thanks again,
John
John:
I certainly support you and your fine work; even without knowing the particulars of the case. In principle, the work you do is grounded in really well established theories and in ethical practice. In a professional forum such as the one you mention, there should be space for multiple perspectives. I’m sorry to read that that is not the case in the early childhood music therapy forum. How distressing. I agree with Susan…we have all been witness to abuses of power historically within organizations and from certain personalities in particular. I think that a formal response is a great approach. Speaking for myself- and I think that I can also speak for my colleagues at EMU, we value multiple perspectives!!! Let us know what we can do to further support you in this!
Thanks, Terra. Multiple perspectives and scholarly dialoguing is important for the growth of any profession.
john
Behind you all the way, John
Thanks, Jim.