About Healing Sounds Music Therapy
For many people it’s not easy to make the decision to start seeing a therapist. Our culture and society tell us that we should be able to handle life on our own and not ask for help. The truth is that there is no shame or weakness in seeking out help when there is a problem. Allow me to illustrate-- I’m a well-educated, intelligent individual, and there are many things I can do well and figure out on my own. But I am absolutely, horribly inept at taxes. My brain simply does not understand them at all. This is a problem because, obviously, everyone has to pay taxes. So for many years when tax season rolled around, I called on a trusted CPA to help me. Eventually, the CPA taught me how to use computer tax software to complete my taxes, but she’s still there for me to call whenever I run into a problem. I don’t think of myself as inferior or weak or silly for needing help with my taxes. Why should it be any different for needing help in therapy? And isn’t caring for your Self and leading a more fulfilling life more important (dare I say it?) than filing your taxes?
Choosing the right person for the job is also important. When I contacted the CPA, I made sure she had the correct experience, credentials, and qualifications to do the work. The same is true in choosing a therapist, perhaps even more so because the work to be done in therapy is more intimate than sharing payroll stubs and expense receipts. So let me tell you about myself….
I cannot recall a time when I did not know music. My first piano lessons began at the age of 5, and I remember singing to myself constantly as a child. My family moved around a few times for my Dad’s job-- from New Orleans to Montgomery to Sioux City (yes, Iowa) before finally settling in a tiny little town in the middle of No Where, Alabama. I continued piano lessons everywhere we lived, and music became my way of emotionally relating to life—my mood would dictate which songs I’d practice on the piano, and I’d play my favorite cassette tapes over and over again in my room. When it came time in high school to start thinking about colleges and what I’d major in, I knew music had to play a significant role. My friends always seemed to come to me with their problems, and I took satisfaction in being able to help them. It made sense to incorporate music and helping people into my career choice, and I was fortunate to discover the field of music therapy. After completing my bachelor’s and becoming board certified in 1997, I moved to Rochester, NY, where I had found a job. I met and married my husband there in 2002 and began my master’s degree a year later. In early 2005 our daughter was born (yes, I had an infant and a full-time job and was attending grad school at the same time—poor planning on my part!), and I finished my master’s in 2007. A few months afterwards we moved to Phoenix, AZ, where we lived for 2 years before relocating to Huntsville. After 2 cross-country moves with a child under the age of 5, we have firmly planted ourselves here. It’s also wonderful that my parents as well as my sister and her family live here, too.
So what have I learned from my life journey thus far? That music can powerfully change a life. I know this from my personal experiences as well as from the experiences of those I’ve been blessed to work with. That it’s so very important to follow your heart and your dreams and not ignore that small voice deep inside that whispers to you. That life is difficult, messy, full of surprises, and requires hard work. It is also wonderful, amazing, and filled with blessings. I am not perfect, and there is much I don’t know. But I try hard to be open to new ideas and ways of doing things. I can’t promise that I’ll have all the answers to your questions or problems, but I will promise that I’ll do my very best to help you in a non-judgmental and accepting way. We will work as a team in accomplishing your goals.
