MT-BC, (MUSIC THERAPIST - BOARD CERTIFIED)
Music therapy is a modality of therapeutic collaboration that utilizes music to support a spectrum of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs within various populations.
My current music therapy experiences include collaborations with military populations seeking mental health care, older adult populations seeking end-of-life care and memory care, and children seeking educational support.
As a music therapist, I strive to meet individuals where they are and walk where they aim to explore; in other words, you take the lead and I meet you there. With an education in mental health counseling, my therapeutic approach is integrative and primarily informed by humanistic, existential, cognitive-behavioral, and Adlerian approaches.
In addition to being a music therapist, I am a singer-songwriter with over 20 years of experience writing and performing original music. This background allows me to not only observe the healing potential of music for others but also, deeply know it myself.
While my background as an artist may be nonstandard for a therapist, the primary through-line is this... I believe in the value and impact of stories, which are explored in both art and therapy.
Whether we choose them, or are simply exposed to them, we are influenced by stories. From memories to conversations, journalism to literature, film to music, and more, stories are perpetually near if not persistently within. It is my belief that when a story reflects truths, or catalyzes relation, we are most profoundly altered; both art and therapy can support our process of finding, clarifying, and expressing the truths of our story.
My purposes as an artist and a therapist are separate but both share the intention to identify and explore personal narratives to further determine which are ready to be shelved, longing for a page turn, and beckoning to begin.
For more information regarding music therapy, I encourage you to browse the American Music Therapy Association's resources and/or reach out here.
“Songs are our connection to life. They connect us to the inner world; they bring us closer to others; they keep us company when we are alone. They articulate our beliefs and reaffirm our values. They arouse, they accompany, and they release. And as the years pass, our songs bear witness to our lives and give voice to our experiences. They rekindle the past, reflect the present, and project the future. Songs weave tales of our joys and sorrows; they express our dreams and disappointments, our fears and triumphs. They are our musical diaries, our life stories. They are the sounds of our development.”
- Kenneth Bruscia