There are things in life that need to be done, but simply aren’t pleasant. So we tend to procrastinate and put them off for as long as possible until we absolutely. have. to. do. them. Anyone else? My iTunes music account falls squarely into that category. See, as a musician and music therapist, I naturally […]
The Centers for Disease Control reports that approximately 9% of adults in the US experience the symptoms of depression each year, and that about 3% of adults suffer from major depression (the leading cause of disability for ages 15-44). Additionally, women are 70% more likely to experience depression during their lives than men. So what […]
It’s a question I get asked several times a year– which came first, the sad music or the blue mood? It’s an excellent question, and one I’m not sure has a definitive answer. Were we feeling blue when we chose the song that’s a little on the depressing side because we wanted to hear something […]
So how does music therapy help with depression? Do you just listen to sad/happy songs until you feel better? Music therapy involves a lot more than just listening to music! For those times when we’re having a rough day, or things aren’t going well, or we’re just feeling a little down in the dumps– listening […]
Another question I get asked fairly often is how music (and music therapy) can help in coping with anxiety and stress. Many of us experience everyday stress on a regular basis, and using music can be an easy way to cope. Listening to relaxing music: ~lowers blood pressure ~returns heart rate to normal range ~slows […]
“Can music therapy help people deal with anxiety?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive about music therapy. And the answer is a resounding “yes!” Here are the details (and a video!)– Research studies have shown that music therapy is effective at reducing muscle tension, decreasing anxiety, and feelings of agitation. […]
A few years ago as part of my GIM training program, our class participated in a sweat lodge. Since another woman and I would not be going into the actual lodge during the sweat, we had a bench placed several yards away. It was on the edge of a pond where we could pray and […]
A couple of weeks ago I asked the followers of my Facebook page for suggestions on what they’d like to read about in future blog posts. One of the first suggestions was medication compliance, so here it is! Medication Compliance Let me start off by saying that this issue is bigger than it initially sounds, […]
The past couple of weeks I’ve been teaching a Lifetime Learning course on music and wellness at the local university. Near the end of last week’s class, one of the participants asked if I could talk to them about how to use music for healing. We had a terrific discussion about it, and I thought […]
After 4 years of post-master’s training and education, I’m now the only person in all of Alabama (and Mississippi for that matter!) who is qualified to practice Guided Imagery and Music (GIM). GIM is a specialty area of music therapy. You can read more about it in some of my other blog posts. So here’s […]
