One of the questions I occasionally hear is, “Do you allow explicit music in therapy?” My answer is simple: censoring music in music therapy sessions is not something I do. That sometimes surprises people– especially those who assume therapy should only involve calm, uplifting, or “appropriate” songs. But healing is rarely that tidy. Music therapy […]
Musician vs. Music Therapist: Why the Difference Matters It’s a common and understandable mix-up: if someone is skilled with music and uses it to help people feel better, doesn’t that make them a music therapist? Not quite. While musicians and music therapists both work with music– their roles, training, and goals are fundamentally different. What […]
In my younger years, I was a teenage pro at making mixtapes (and later mix CD’s). I’d give them to boyfriends (so embarrassing to think of those now!) and trade them with my friends. Usually the tapes/CD’s would include whatever songs were popular at the time, or songs that reminded us of a shared event […]
When people learn that I’m a music therapist, one of the most common assumptions is that I only work with children in schools. But music therapy can be an excellent treatment option for a wide variety of physical and mental health challenges. Below are some highlights of a few common mental and physical health concerns […]
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 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 […]
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– […]
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is if music therapy is an effective treatment option for PTSD and trauma. Yes, it is! Several decades of research support the use of music therapy in treating PTSD and various other forms of trauma. In fact, the field of music therapy traces its’ roots back to helping […]
In previous posts I’ve explained a little bit about what music therapy is, how it works, and who can benefit from services. In this post, I’ll address another question I get almost as often as those— why music therapy and not another kind of therapy? 1.) IT DOES A BODY GOOD. It’s true. Music has the ability […]
The second most popular question I get asked (the first being “music therapy– what is that?”) is about guided imagery and music (GIM). This is my specialty area of music therapy. So I thought I’d write a blog post about it since I’m sure many of you may have wondered the same thing. And if […]
