Coping Skills Are Key: An Interview With Maddie Offenberger
As a medical music therapist, Maddie Offenberger addresses children’s mental health needs during their hospital stay. Presently, many do not have the emotional capacity to understand the current events and stress responses of the adults surrounding them. She says, “If I were a young child, I would be very confused,” and emphasizes that adults need to demonstrate what to do. In this podcast, Maddie talks about the deficits in social skills, self-esteem, and frustrations she observed in her pediatric patients. Listening to each child, validating their feelings, finding ways to express themselves through music, and helping them discover and utilize coping skills are key to the therapeutic experience she offers. She believes that feeling safe and loved is the most important support parents can provide to their children and hopes that the pandemials can build positive and long-lasting relationships throughout their lives.
Resources
- Mommy and Me Music Class
- Examples of Social Events in the Louisville Community:
About the Interviewee
Maddie Offenberger, MT-BC, works within the Norton Healthcare system in Louisville, Kentucky. She sees inpatients in the psychiatric facility for adults and pediatrics and provides mental health consultation at Norton Children’s Hospital and Norton Cancer Institute. She is hopeful that young children today will be able to have the same happy experiences she had during childhood, despite their lives starting amidst difficulty. Contact: maddieoffenberger@gmail.com
Suggested Citation
Shina, E. (2022, September 1). Coping skills are key: An interview with Maddie Offenberger [Audio podcast]. imagine. www.imagine.musictherapy.biz