When someone is experiencing a crisis situation, they are concerned about the present moment. The goals are short-term. For example, when I worked in the neonatal and intensive care unit (NICU), I noticed that many of the mother’s displayed mental […]
In my previous post, Using Music to Engage the Mind and Body, I stated that song writing can be a helpful tool for organizing thoughts and processing emotions. This activity is not reserved for adults or teens though! Song writing […]
In January I spoke at a conference and shared various ways that the attendees could use music in their daily lives for wellness and wholeness. Here, I will introduce a few of those music-based activities for you amazing parents, teachers, […]
Three questions came to mind as I prepared to write this article. Why does healthcare need music therapy? Why does therapy need music? Why should healthcare systems invest in specialized therapists trained in utilizing the intricacies of music to improve […]
If you haven’t heard the new Taylor Swift song titled, “It’s Nice to Have a Friend,” then I recommend it. Throughout the song Swift gently reminds us that our emotions are affected by the simplicity of connection. The little ways […]
While music activities such as listening, singing, dancing, or playing instruments are often utilized by music therapists to target specific behaviors, applying music therapeutically can go beyond these traditional forms to facilitate the developmentally-appropriate right to decide. This right is […]
Recently, I provided an in-service for the physical, occupational, and speech therapists that I work with at the children’s hospital, titled, “Complementarity with Medical Music Therapy.” I explained that music therapists utilize evidence-based music interventions to reach a patient’s specific […]
The target population for this intervention are adolescents who are experiencing depression. The objective is to draw the adolescent’s attention to positive memories and the pleasant social interaction of the moment. In doing so, attention is pulled away from negative […]
Young children with cochlear implants are in the process of not only learning how to hear, but also of trusting what they hear. Therefore, even if a child hears and understands your verbal direction, he or she might just respond […]
The majority of children I treat as a music therapist have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children diagnosed with ASD often require additional therapeutic support to strengthen their communication, motor coordination, cognition, academic, and social-emotional skills. People often ask me, “does […]
