After reading Ikuno's contribution, I recalled an incident that happened when I first started as a music therapist in Malaysia. It was eight years ago and I was a facilitator in a toddlers' music appreciation class. There was a mother complaining to the principal of the music center about me raising my voice to her daughter. She stressed to the principal that I, as a music therapist, should "act" as a therapist. I realized her stance later that a therapist should be always calm and not to raise his or her voice to anybody. Similar to this experience, I came across some personal friends who perceive therapists as ideal individuals who must have perfect personalities. They were mystified when I displayed the emotional part of mine. The above experiences happened in the moments when I was purely a facilitator and as a personal friend but was not providing professional music therapy services.
It is common for the people in my culture to stereotype certain professions and the helping profession is one of them. They expect a therapist to be patient, gentle, and elegant all the time, even during the off-time. In addition, I found that the people in Eastern culture tend to idealize a therapist. They see a therapist as a problem-free individual and they do not seem to accept it if a therapist or a counselor encounters psychological issues. Yet, a therapist is an ordinary individual and there is not a way that a therapist "should" or "should not" be. Idealizing a therapist is neither rational nor logical. Likewise, we do not expect a doctor to be free from any diseases as it is not reasonable. Whether stereotyping or idealizing a music therapist, both are unfair.
A portrait of a music therapist is controversial as expectations are different. The clients may look up to a music therapist as a perfect individual; the public may view a music therapist as a performer; the counselors may see a music therapist as possessing more sentimental elements in him or herself; the doctors may perceive a music therapist as a balance between the science and art; but the most essentially, how does a music therapist portray him or herself? As stated in the article, Ikuno recognized four elements: "the equal attitude to people", "courage and actions", "logical and communicative capacity", and "the gravity as an ordinary person" in portraying a music therapist, especially when we possess musical skills as an asset.
"The gravity as an ordinary person" is an interesting element in which the stance of "ordinary" is full of questions. What is "ordinary?" What is considered "ordinary?" There is no definite line to draw between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" but a grey area between them. However, before portraying, acceptance comes first. I believe that when Ikuno mentioned about "liv[ing] 'the ordinary' at ease," one must accept one's ordinary self so as to live at ease. A music therapist's professional life is full of critiques and disapprovals. These critiques may come from one's own self or others. Learning to get along with the different voices is the first step, just like learning to be with one's own self. It is a never easy task and needed to experience time after time.
As music therapists, we are ordinary people and it is absolutely fine to be ordinary. The crucial point is to see ourselves ordinary, recognize our ordinary self and accept it.