“Then I go to my brother And I say brother help me please But he winds up knockin’ me Back down on my knees, oh There have been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long But now I think I’m able to carry on It’s been a long, a long time coming But […]
One of the most common misconceptions about music therapy is that the person receiving it needs to know all about music. I frequently tell people that “my job is to know the music; your job is to bring an open mind and a willingness to try something new!” Sometimes we listen to music together in […]
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is if music therapy is a good treatment choice for trauma and/or PTSD. Yes! Several decades of research supports the use of music therapy in treating trauma, PTSD, and other crisis situations. In fact, music therapy traces its’ roots back to helping WWII soldiers in military hospitals recover […]
Memories can be triggered in a variety of different ways. Sights, sounds, smells, music, and tastes can all take us back immediately to a certain time or place. Seasonal changes tend to trigger the most memories for me, and summer is one of those times. Sometimes memories can be evoked through the normal course of […]
May is drum awareness month, so I thought a blog post about the health benefits of drumming would be helpful! If you’ve never been part of a drumming experience, it’s worth considering. Numerous research studies have shown that drumming can help decrease stress and fatigue, improve high blood pressure, alleviate pain, and manage cancer treatment […]
Lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the similarities and differences between Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and EMDR. People have heard of, or perhaps experienced, EMDR sessions, and they’re curious about GIM. Hopefully this post will answer some of those questions! And here’s a video where I explain it. What is Guided […]
Recently one of my clients said to me, “You know, I can sit at home and listen to music by myself. But it’s so much better when I do that here in your office with you.” So let’s unpack that a little bit and learn what makes music therapy different from simply listening to music. […]
Recently a friend of mine was out grabbing lunch and decided to take a quick short-cut between two businesses. It involved driving her small car down a dirt road. Initially, she thought she could make it because the road looked firm enough. But once she reached the place where the road met the parking lot […]
From an early age, it seems like we always hear the advice to “be yourself” and “to thine own self be true.” But what exactly does that mean? And what does self-expression look like? How do we go about showing our uniqueness and individuality to the world? That makes us vulnerable, and that can be […]
Years ago at one of the first family holiday meals after marrying my husband, I can remember this brief conversation: Mother-in-law: “Do you want a slice of pumpkin pie or apple pie?” Cousin: “Yes, and ice cream on top, please.” What I like about this illustration (besides the idea that you can have two desserts […]
