Death is hard to process, and grief is hard to communicate. For an individual with special needs the challenges of grief are different, and music can play a significant role in working through those challenges head on. As I arrived at the Day Program for Adults with Special Needs this week, a lot of the..
Music Therapy success stories are an everyday experience for us, but we realize that most people are not aware of the impact music therapy has on the lives of so many kids with Autism. So we’re sharing this one with you. Last year I was approached about working with a nine year old client..
Being a Music Therapist in a Behavioral Health setting presents both challenges and deeply meaningful moments. Here are just two examples of what patients expressed about music therapy during one of our days at the hospital. Reality Orientation with Music Therapy A patient came to my High Acuity group who had been in the..
Music Therapy in mental health settings has a tremendous impact on patients. Here is just a glimpse of what might happen in a typical day of music therapy at a behavioral hospital. Geriatric Group In my Geriatric group, everyone who was present for the session was engaged by playing instruments, participating in the themed word..
Avery was a spirited, curious, delightful ball of energy. She loved to explore the world around her and feel things with her hands–at least for a split second before throwing an object across the room to give it the thrill of flight. Avery was blind, deaf, and had Down syndrome and Autism. Despite her physical and..
Our Music Therapists have meaningful experiences every day when working with their clients. We’ve decided to share a few of those experiences to help paint a picture of music therapy. Making a Lasting Impact through Songwriting I find music therapy rewarding for a lot of different reasons. Probably the most rewarding one is when I..
Music can help kids memorize more than just the ABC’s. In this case, music therapy helped a girl with a seizure disorder learn her address in a fraction of the time it took without music. Several years ago I worked with a teenage girl with a seizure disorder and developmental delays. I provided music therapy..
I wrote this several years ago after the passing of one of my students. It was a tender experience, and one that was deepened through the power of music–just not in the way I had anticipated. I have a heavy heart tonight. A couple days ago I heard that one of my former students whom..
Tommy was one of the most friendly, talkative, and animated students I’d ever worked with–an absolute delight! I thought he would made a great Captain Hook for our school musical, but I was surprised when I discovered his unique challenge. School musicals at Jordan Valley were quite the production. We were made up of 150..
The use of music during a procedure can reduce the tactile neurons to help the patient experience less pain. Here’s a little bit about how and why it works. Sitting up in bed, her eyes were locked on mine as she mouthed the words, “West Virginia, Mountain Mama”. The music therapist stood bedside as the..