Vocal Music Therapy

Dear creative soul….

Do you love listening to music?

Do you connect deeply to song lyrics?

Have you always longed to sing?

Do you feel like you don’t have a voice?

Do you wish to be more vulnerable and authentic?

Do you want a safe and enjoyable way to release stress?

Are you disconnected from your creative self-expression?

Then music therapy might be for you!

“The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.” ~Anne of Green Gables

Music therapy is the integration of music and therapy.

It can be as simple as listening to and discussing songs.

It can involve music-making like singing or songwriting.

No formal musical training is required to participate.

Your inner child is born talented, creative and ready to rock.

Proven benefits of participation in music therapy:

  • Improved self-image/Increased self-esteem

  • Decreased anxiety/agitation

  • Reduced muscular tension

  • Enhanced interpersonal relationships

  • Successful and safe emotional release

“If we go back to the origins of singing, it means to make an incantation, to enchant, to make magic.” ~Silvia Nakkach

Singing is Therapeutic

Accessing your fullest voice helps you own your power.

Deep breathing and exhaling sound calms your nervous system.

Singing alchemizes emotional pain into creative self-expression.

Singing releases feel good chemicals for emotional wellness.

Singing creates altered states for heightened spiritual connection.

For singers with anxious tendencies

You’re a singer who doesn’t sing (or sings less than you’d like to!)

Perhaps you…

  • were criticized by a teacher, peer or family member

  • were discouraged from pursuing a career in music

  • put singing aside for more “practical” pursuits

  • dream about singing on stage but can’t get past the shower

  • are stuck in your head and your judgments about your voice

  • have trouble expressing yourself emotionally & authentically

  • struggle with tension in your throat, jaw and tongue

  • were diagnosed with a stress related vocal condition

  • find it hard to let go and have fun when you’re performing

  • sabotage opportunities out of a fear of success or failure

Music therapy can help you resolve fears blocking your creative gifts. It’s time to step into the spotlight and shine!

It’s time to get past the fears and limiting beliefs that are keeping you backstage, off mic and muted. Your dreams matter, your voice matters, and you have a right to self-expression.

It is deeper than just the music. We explore how comfortable you are showing emotion or speaking up, and how valued your voice has been in your relationships and environment.

Finding your voice is about connecting with your true self. It is about accepting yourself as you are and telling the truth about your experiences. It is about listening to your intuition and finding the song that lives within.

My Singing Story

I have loved singing since belting out “Hero” in 6th grade choir and playing Joanne in Godspell. I attended Berklee College of Music in undergrad, but due to paralyzing perfectionism, I hid my voice in lessons, and avoided auditioning as a soloist. In my early years as a vocal coach, I was mentored by Jennifer Hamady, a teacher who specializes in the psychology of singing. It was through using Jennifer’s vocal, breathing and mindfulness exercises that I finally overcame performance anxiety. I also accessed deep rivers of emotion that made my singing alive and meaningful. Instead of just having a pretty voice, I became someone who sang with soul. Our work together inspired me to get my masters in music therapy, so I could help other singers heal through therapeutic voice. But there were more challenges and lessons ahead of me.

During my first year working as a music therapist, I developed a vocal injury and pervasive allergies that impeded my ability to sing. Then I found different inner child and teenage parts of me that never got to have a voice. I discovered that at the root of my vocal conditions was blocked emotion and tension from suppressing my truth. I needed to start sharing my inner voice to heal my outer voice. Gradually, through using singing and songwriting to tell my story, the flexibility and fullness of my voice reemerged. I now understand singing as my inner child’s heartfelt confession and my inner teenager’s righteous rebellion. In working together, I hope to guide you back to your truth, your voice, your song.