Author: gsusmusictherapy

Each day a board certified music therapist packs their instruments, technologies, and other session materials (if you have ever seen one of us…that can be a lot of schlepping), walks out of their front door and loads up their vehicle, or opens their facility or studio doors, they are prepared – not just to provide treatment and care for clients and patients and not just to provide music either.  They are prepared to re-present an entire field of board certified music therapy professionals, to advocate for music therapy services, and also to educate every person they encounter who asks: Why do I need to hire a music therapist? 

We understand the question.  It is a valid question. This is also a question that most board certified music therapists will tell you they hear every day because most people do not encounter a board certified music therapist every day. More often than not, board certified music therapists are prepared with a range of responses they have for a wide range of environments, opportunities, and audiences. Answering this question is part of what we do. If you ask a board certified music therapist, they will probably tell you they have an explanation for the grocery store, an elevator ride, in a parking lot, walking through a lobby or into any building with instruments or in meetings with other therapy and medical professionals – to answer just that question.

We get it…because we know meeting a board certified music therapist is a bit like seeing a unicorn. We can be hard to find, and even more challenging to find if you are not sure where to look for one of us. The challenge becomes compounded if you do not know what is music therapy. Because of this main factor, for many people, this means traveling to receive treatment by a board certified music therapist. But don’t take our word for it.  Let’s talk about the bottom lines, the data and the facts about what is music therapy and what we do.

First: What is music therapy?  Music therapy is the HIPAA-compliant, CAM-titled (complimentary alternative medicine) and alternative therapy practice that is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to address and accomplish identified goals by a qualified and credentialed practitioner within a therapeutic relationship. We are classified the same as occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech language pathology (SLP). This can happen in a private practice, hospitals, schools, community centers, prisons, rehab facilities, mental health facilities, private homes, nursing homes, group homes, homeless shelters, and much more.

Second: What is a board certified music therapist?  A board certified music therapist (MT-BC) is a trained and credentialed clinical practitioner who has completed an accredited music therapy program of study and field placements, research, clinical training, an internship, and passed a board certification examination.  A board certified music therapist has to have a Bachelor, Master, or PhD in music therapy, have completed 1200 hours of a supervised clinical internship post-studies, and passed the Board Certification examination in Music Therapy.  They are also required to complete 100 hours of continuing education and clinical training every 5 years to recertify and retain their credential. And depending on the music therapist, as with other therapy professionals, music therapists have areas of specialization. Without the credential and data collection, what is taking place is not music therapy.

 

Within the United States, there are approximately 7,000 board certified music therapists and the numbers of practitioners range from state to state.  There are still some states that do not have board certified music therapists in them at all.  In the state of Texas, there are just over 415 board certified music therapists working in the field and we make up a little over 8% of the board certified music therapists in the United States.  In the state of Texas alone, we 415 treat roughly 41,350 clients and patients each year.  This means on average, each practitioner treats approximately 100 clients and/or patients per year; and this does not take into account contracted services for group sessions or clients and patients that travel from out of state – and in some cases out of country – to receive treatment with specializing practitioners. These numbers vary greatly – depending on the circumstances of the state and the needs to be addressed.

In some states, the MT-BC credential and the clinical and educational training that goes into becoming a board certified music therapist is recognized and protected (and we are working hard to get HB 1376 passed in Texas so we can this great state on the list) from those who call themselves “music therapist” but have no clinical training.  Many more people and organizations could benefit from music therapy services from a qualified and certified practitioner but are not able to access one due to a lack of state recognition of our clinical training and board certification. Also, with state recognition and licensure, insurance providers and carriers will be less able to deny coverage for a prescribed and viable therapy service.

What are some common questions asked?

Why can’t a volunteer provide these same services for free? The short answers is: Because a volunteer does not have the educational and clinical training and background necessary to practice therapy. A more involved answer is: There is a difference between the therapeutic use and application of music and the skilled profession of music therapy. Just like you wouldn’t hire a P.E. teacher to provide physical therapy and rehabilitation services, you really do not want an untrained individual – no matter how musically inclined – trying to function as a music therapist.  This is not to say that we do not love our music volunteers.  Having music volunteers is very helpful for the field of music therapy. We have a shortage of qualified practitioners and an overabundance of need across our great country; but even a music volunteer for music therapy has to go through a measure of training before volunteering can be done. 

Wait…why do you charge for that? We charge for our services because what we do is a professional therapy service.  Just like you expect to pay for services when they are provided by a physical therapist (PT) or a clinical psychologist, you should expect to pay a board certified music therapist when contracting or hiring to receive specialized therapy services. A board certified music therapist follows a process – referral & acceptance, assessment, program planning, implementation, documentation, progress notes, and when the time comes termination – to bring the most effective interventions to address identified and emerging needs. Preparation goes into customizing each intervention for each individual, family, group, or organization…in addition to the learning of preferred music and pairing interventions with instruments or adapting the instruments. Everything a board certified music therapist does is goal-based and established on clinical and medical research, tailored to address specific needs and identified goals, and all of the music that is used is individual- and/or group-preferred.

Just a few examples:

• In the educational setting, Music Therapy is a related service under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Acts (IDEA);
• In mental health, clinical, and healthcare settings, Music Therapy is a HIPAA-compliant, prescribed clinical treatment option and the board certified music therapist works with others on a treatment team to bring the most effect interventions for health (of mind, body, and spirit) and healing;
• In correctional and forensic settings, Music Therapy is a clinical treatment option for those who may find themselves isolated or resistant to talk-based therapies; and
• In business settings, Music Therapy is used to improve employee satisfaction, wellness, and inter-office communication while decreasing rates of employee burnout.

Isn’t it just music? The short answer is: No, it is not just music. The more involved answer is: Therapeutically, neurologically, physiologically, psychotherapeutically, and psychologically, different kinds of music stimulate and elicit different responses within the human body. Using the wrong music can cause more harm and damage than benefit. From the research, 93% of human communication is non-verbal. Music therapy allows a client, patient, and/or group – no matter their environment – to experience and express their full range of emotions about an issue without having to only talk about them.

What does this all mean? Music therapy services help in reducing care costs across a wide range of settings and has the ability to significantly add to the value of services offered through just about any facility or program. Music therapy services help change the atmosphere of any environment. A music therapy program and individual services can add to your program. But don’t take our word for it. Here is an overview of cost-saving analysis and statistics and data on music therapy.

If you are an employer, manager, or supervisor looking for a new program to improve employee contentment, efficacy, and service output; or you own, manage, or run a program that offers services with individuals with intellectual, developmental, physical, mental or medical disabilities; or you are a caregiver or faith-based institution working to deal with self-care and mitigate the short- and long-term effects of providing services and care for others, or you are a group, organization, or individual looking for a new way to address a recurring, new, or existing issue, music therapy may be just what the doctor ordered. You more than likely ask yourself, “What sets aside my company/brand/institution from the rest? What makes a family choose “us” over “them”? What helps us stand out?”. Hiring a board certified music therapist would allow you to address your needs, as well as gives you an edge in services you offer.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Would you like more information about music therapy? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself, a group, or a loved one? Are you looking for a new approach for a new or recurring situation? Are you a business looking for a new way to address a concern? We are here to help. Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here,  or at www.gsusmusictherapy.com, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com.

We wish you the grooviest of days and at least one moment that takes your breath away and makes your heart smile!

The G^sus Music Therapy Treatment Team

If you are breathing, you have more than likely been hurt somewhere in your life by someone or something in some way, shape, form, or fashion. You may have even been the one to hurt you. It may seem like a small consolation to have this acknowledged; but be encouraged, Beloved, you are not alone. We have all been there at some time or another. Everyone has been dropped by life in some way. If we keep living, chances are we will all experience being dropped again at some time or another. We will all lose a loved one too soon. We will all have someone (or many someones) in our life who challenge us. We will all experience a friendship or relationship that falls apart and leaves us trying to cope in a way we never had to before. We will all lose something, whether material or not, that we will invest of ourselves trying to recapture. We will all be disappointed. We will all find ourselves with pivotal moments where we realize something has to give.

We will have all have trials and troubles that will bring us people, problems, pain, and pressures. Take heart, you are not alone. There is one universal truth we all have to face if we are to keep living. And it is our sincere hope and prayer that you will always choose life. The universal truth is that life is something we have to feel, something we all need to live. There is no escaping it. Life will keep coming – whether we want it to or not, whether we feel prepared for it or not, whether we feel strong enough for what it will require of us or not. Take a moment to check-in with yourself. Be honest with you.

Do you experience negative emotions or thoughts when you need to interact with certain people or situations? Do you neglect yourself and put off taking care of your own needs? Have you become your own worst critic? Do you feel anxious and stressed all of the time? Do you feel like whatever you do just is not good enough? Do you exist in a place of guilt and self-doubt – even for things you cannot control? Do you sometimes feel alone – even when you find yourself surrounded by people? Do you keep yourself achieving small because you don’t want the attention to fall on you? Do you go out of your way to protect yourself from others? Do you work all of the time to keep yourself preoccupied? Do you find yourself having the same cycling thoughts over and over? Do you find yourself saying “yes” to things you would rather say “no” to or vice versa? Has life left you feeling like the proverbial doormat? Have you experienced a trauma that has left you reeling ever since and you’re not sure how to move forward? Do you find yourself at a crossroads and ready for change? Do you keep thinking there is better, but you’re not sure how to get to the better?

If you are an adult who did not receive, for whatever reason, what you needed from your mother, your father, your family, your environment, your upbringing, your interpersonal and/or professional relationships, your faith, your job, or anything else you needed to grow up and into a confident, secure, self-assured individual, who believes in his/her worthiness as a human being, this is for you. This is not about bashing any of the people, places, or things mentioned because the goal is healing, wellness, and overcoming – even if the people, problems, pains, and pressures keep coming or do not change. We are interested in helping you find the bottom line, so you can let go to go on and have a more fulfilled life. We want to help you overcome, to succeed as you define success for your life.

You may feel broken, abandoned, betrayed, unworthy, unneeded, unloved, undervalued, or a whole slew of other negative and draining emotions. You may be self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, overworking, sex, religion, shopping, overworking out, escaping into AI (artificial intelligence) platforms (ie. excessive Facebook-ing, Pinterest-ing, Instagram-ing, etc.), surrounding yourself with those who can share in your feelings of bitterness but not in your idea of better, just to name a few things. But no matter what you do, you still feel empty, lost, overwhelmed, or drifting aimlessly, there is something you need to know. There is more in this life for you. You can still heal, you can still find wellness, wholeness, and balance. The choice is yours.

Everything that has happened to you, every negative thing that was said to you, every label that has been heaped on you – mind, body, and spirit – every thing that life did not give you, every thing you thought would happen, but didn’t, you need to know you are important, you are worthy, you are loved, and you are needed. There is more in this life for you. The bottom line is this: you are still here, Beloved. No matter what this life has thrown at you, you are still here. No matter what this life did or did not give you so far, you are still here. As long as there is life in your body, as long as you have a heartbeat, as long as you are breathing – and definitely if you can read this – you are yet and still here and there is more in this life for you. 

At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, we focus on the overall well-being of the mind, the body, and the spirit through music. Every music making experience we offer is customized to address your needs through the listening, moving, playing, and singing of and to music. We work within the neural pathways of the brain to bring about change for and within an individual; and we do it through music and musical elements. Why music therapy? Because we are rhythm.What kind of music do we use? We use the kind of music you prefer.  Music therapy is both a CAM-titled (complimentary alternative medicine) and alternative therapy field of practice. At G^sus, we specialize in biofeedback to guide the music therapy process – which is just a fancy way of saying we use your body’s functioning (like your heartbeat, your brainwave functioning, your pulse, even your rate of breathing) to bring about change for and within an individual. Everything we do is goal-based. If it is your goal, then it is our goal. Sure, it will look and feel like playing an instrument and singing a song or beating a drum; but a great many things are taking place.

A mental health need is not a figment of the imagination and it cannot always be “walked off”. Any mental health need is very real. You need to know, there is more in this life for you – no matter your circumstance or situation. We are here to help you learn new coping strategies to deal with the people, problems, pains, and pressures of life. A life filled with conflicted thinking, strange thoughts, pervasive thoughts, or redundant thoughts does not have to be all there is for you. We are not here to judge. We are here to help. You are worthy of a fulfilled life. You are worthy of your healing. You are valued. You are needed. You are priceless.

Music therapy: A different approach to life, to therapy, and to medical care.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Do you need more information? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself or a loved one? Are you looking for a new approach for a new or recurring situation? We are here to help. Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here or at www.gsusmusictherapy.com, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com.

Music therapy is a different approach to personalizing and customizing your medical care and your therapy.  It is all about the science.  At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, we utilize biofeedback as a baseline indicator to establish where an individual is and to help us determine how best to chart out where an individual would like to go in their therapy journey – which is just a fancy way of saying we use the data your body provides (like your heartbeat, your brainwave functioning, your pulse, even your rate of breathing) to customize your treatment to goals you identify.  We do it all through music and musical elements and training based in music therapy clinical foundations, biofeedback (a medical and clinical assessment process), and HeartMath science.  Through this approach, we are able to address the whole self; and as a result, healthful benefits begin happening within the mind, the body, and the spirit.

We do this because we are rhythm.  Our hearts beat to a certain rhythm – our biological rhythm.  We breathe to a certain rhythm – also our biological rhythm.  Even our sleeping and waking cycles happen to a rhythm – our chronobiological or circadian rhythm.  The human body is an incredible collaboration of multiple complex systems that layer together into a driving rhythmic force working together in the groove of life.  We breathe, talk, eat, chew, sleep, wake, and move to a rhythm.  We are breathing, talking, chewing, sleeping, waking, moving and grooving polyrhythmic beings.  And all rhythm needs a groove to fit in to.

In music therapy, we call the process of fitting your biology into a groove entrainment.  Entrainment, in the biomusicological sense, refers to the synchronization of organisms – or in this case complex body systems – to an external perceived rhythm.  Essentially, we use music you prefer and we customize it to your body’s biological functions to intentionally entrain your body’s functions, from your brain to your cells, to musical stimuli and then recalibrate what is happening within your body.  Sometimes this requires we speed things up; and other times, it requires that we slow things down.  As we do this, we teach you the tools and exercises necessary for you to be able to take control of specific portions of your body’s health, as well as how to maintain it as part of a regular personal self-care routine.  Through consistent application of the tools and exercises we will provide, as a result, a type of domino-effect begins to take place within the body day by day, leading to healthfulness.

Let’s face it, if you are going through this thing called Life, there are situations and circumstances that we all experience that throw off our rhythm and groove.  Daily stressors come.  Emergencies arise.  Issues pop up.  And over time, these all add up and begin to have an impact on our overall health; and not just the health of our bodies, but of our minds and spirits too.  We are all a mind, a body, and a spirit and what we feed each of those parts of ourselves matters. Think of it as a whole-self diet.  Through mindfulness meditation practice and biofeedback music therapy and assessment, we address all 3 sides of the self through individual and group sessions. Session work spans across 12-18 weeks – depending on the individual or group.  In this period, we assess and then intentionally recalibrate and reset your natural groove, while we teach you the tools necessary to maintain a path towards wellness and better health.

By including biofeedback data into our music therapy assessments and interventions, along with HeartMath applications, we are able to better help an individual become more aware of their independent body systems, provide education about these things that are person-specific, and teach the process of controlling these systems voluntarily. Within the body, our systems all directly impact one another. Through biofeedback, an individual is able to gain a greater sense of awareness and understanding of what is happening within their own body.  By learning to intentionally control and regulate these systems, greater wellness and health can be achieved.

Research shows us that overall cardiovascular health is impacted through these applications. There is an ¹⁾increase of blood flow and oxygenation, ²⁾energy enzyme production is increased, and ³⁾health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and cholesterol are impacted.  Through consistent and intentional periods of self-regulation, research shows us that ⁴⁾individuals can also increase their blood stroke volume, which in turn serves as a catalyst that ⁵⁾increases healthy cholesterol while decreasing unhealthy triglycerides, which in turn ⁶⁾increases overall immune health.

But we did mention “from your brain to your cells”.  With consistent and intentional periods of voluntary system regulation, our cells become impacted through the increase of neurotransmitter production – which is just a fancy way of saying the tools we provide will increase your brain’s production of endorphins and other chemicals that regulate and balance things like emotions, mood, memory, cognition, attention span, concentration, alertness, energy, appetite, cravings, sleep, our perception of pain, relaxation response, motor control, and our ⁸⁾ability to learn, memorize, and recall information, as well as ⁹⁾increases neuroplasticity.  This takes places because our cells have to talk to each other to transfer this intentionally stimulated and released chemical information.  Neurotransmitters affect every cell, tissue, and system within us.  This kind of regulation also allows for the ¹⁰⁾regulation of brainwaves – alpha, beta, theta, delta, and gamma.

Everything we do – all of our movements, thoughts, and feelings – are the result of our cells talking with one another.  Because neurotransmitters are integrated with our immune and endocrine systems (including the adrenal glands), neurotransmitter imbalances can cause a wide range of health problems such as:

• Brain fog – loss of mental focus, ADD, ADHD, impaired memory, poor decision making;
• Fatigue;
• Insomnia – difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both;
• Pain – migraines, fibromyalgia
• Obesity – metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and diabetes;
• Mood disorders – depression, mood swings, irritability
• Anxiety – panic, obsessions, PTSD
• Behavioral disturbances – addictions, binge eating, compulsions impulsivity, gambling, autism; and
• Hormonal imbalances – PMS, estrogen dominance, low testosterone, hypothyroidism.

At G^sus Music Therapy Services & Center, LLC, our philosophy is to treat people with unconditional positive regard, and to meet them where they are to help them move to where they would like to be.  We have many who come to us for music therapy treatment dealing with a wide range of needs and concerns.  We do not believe an individual should be defined by their symptoms, diseases, or conditions.  We believe that when an individual is dealing with an issue, all of who they are – mind, body, and spirit – is involved in the process.  The tools we provide through mindfulness meditation, based on your personal biofeedback and clinical music therapy foundations, wellness can be achieved.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Would you like more information about music therapy? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself, a loved one, or group? Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/gsusmusictherapy, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com or fill out the ‘Contact Us‘ form right here on our site.

We wish you the grooviest of days and at least moment that takes your breath away and makes your heart smile!

The G^sus Music Therapy Treatment Team

Imagine standing on a stage, getting ready to give the first public performance of your life.  You have worked hard for weeks, even months, on the music.  There is excitement and anticipation in the air, but there is also a bit of nervousness and perhaps even fear.  The director reassures you that you will do great.  The lights go dim and only the lights on the stage remain.  You watch the director take their position in front of your group.  Moments later, the director raises their hands and the room goes silent.  The director’s arms begin to move and the music begins.  The air is filled with wonderful sounds and joyful noises, the audience takes it all in, and the whole room is seemingly transcended to a magical place.

This is the experience we make sure all of our participants receive.  This is the experience that can be life changing.  No matter what instrument they are playing – whether it be a drum, guitar, hand chime, triangle, or kazoo – each part is important.  No matter how much or in what way they are participating – they are participating.  No matter what level of ability or experience they bring to the ensemble, we work hard to ensure everyone who desires to participate will experience the joy, pride, and fulfillment of making music with others.  They will work hard to make the magic happen, and hard work is its’ own best reward.

Through G^sus Harmonies, as music therapists, musicians, and music educators, we uphold the highest of professional, ethical, and personal standards – not only those dictated by our profession, but our personal standards of accountability and excellence.  Upholding these standards allows for our clients and patients to have the most effective and therapeutically beneficial experience we can provide.  The same as with any other therapy or health care practitioner, music therapists are charged to have the utmost concern for clients and patients and to do no harm.  At G^sus, our goal is to help our clients actualize their potential and realize their best self.

Our organization and ensembles are open to those within the geriatric community, the intellectually disabled community, the developmentally disabled community, the physically disabled community, and the medical and rehabilitating community. In addition, our organization and ensembles are also open to those who just want to have some fun making music and have the opportunity to be the change they want to see within their community.

To ensure we are providing the best services and experience we can, anyone interested in joining our ensembles – no matter what age or level of ability or disability – must undergo a music therapy assessment and be evaluated for their current level of overall functioning, social and behavioral skills necessary for group participation, and musicality (among other things).  Note: while no musical skill or previous musical experience is necessary for participation, the data provided through the assessment process helps us ensure an individual will be able to participate in a way that is most effective and rewarding.  This assessment provides an overall view of how well the participant will function within the ensemble, and will help to plan accordingly based on strengths and needs.  No exceptions to this will be made for any reason; the ethics of our profession dictates that all individuals are to be assessed before beginning any work.  This assessment is also vitally important for the safety and success of all participants and the ensemble.

Do you want to make a referral for services? Would you like more information about music therapy? Are you interested in music therapy for yourself or a loved one? Do you think one of our performance ensembles is just the medicine the doctor ordered? Do you want to find out what your heart says? Give us a call at 512.754.9631, message us here or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/gsusmusictherapy, or send us an email at gsus.musictherapy@gmail.com or fill out the ‘Contact Us’ form right here on our site.

We wish you the grooviest of days and at least one moment that takes your breath away and makes your heart smile!

The G^sus Music Therapy Treatment Team

From our hearts to yours,

At G^sus we are humbled and privileged beyond measure to be music therapists. We truly LOVE what we do – even when what we are asked to do is tough. We do not, and cannot, take for granted the incredible honor you give us by allowing us to come into your life, into your homes, into your facilities, onto your treatment team, and into your homes and hospital rooms to share so many wonderful and truly inspiring moments with you. When you choose G^sus, you are not just choosing another therapy professional to be on your treatment team, you are choosing someone who is going to care about you and the things that are important to you. Yes, you do pay us for a service; but what you get is so much more. You become a part of us and a part of the G^sus family from the time we serve you and long after you no longer need our services.

The paycheck we receive pays our bills; but what you receive from us is genuine and real all of the time. We are honored to spend our time with you and to care for you and to be with you in your time of need. We are fully invested in your needs and making sure that what we do for you helps you to accomplish your goals. We will gladly work with other members of your treatment team. Our only agenda is to help you to the best of our abilities. We care – and not because we are paid to care.

You do not have to worry or be concerned about expressing yourself or having moments of humanness with us. We are not just your sounding board or your listening ears, we are in your corner and we will advocate for your needs. If you are upset, we will listen. If you are hurting, we will share that experience with you. If you cry, we will never tell you it is not okay. In some cases, we may even cry too. However you choose to express yourself, we will help you do it. And if you want it, we will help you create a soundtrack for your life.

You do not need to have any musical skills to have us be part of your treatment team. We promise we will give you the opportunity each and every time we see you to be musical, to feel musical, and to feel successful in your musical expression any way you choose to engage in your music therapy. We love when you sing with us – even if it is off-key; because we can’t all be professional singers. We also firmly believe that music and musical expression is good and sweet medicine for not just your mind, but your body, and your spirit too. The medicinal value of the music does not diminish because it is not the “perfection” we all have heard on the radio. If you do not feel like singing, we are okay with that too. Sometimes receiving the gift of song is just a medicinal as producing a song. Listening to music and pondering your own thoughts, feelings, memories and ideas is just as important as playing and expressing your feelings. We will never be offended if you fall asleep during your session time. We think of sleeping during a session as a compliment that we are able to help you relax well enough and get more of what your mind, body, and spirit need in the moment; and we are always honored that you feel comfortable enough with us to fall asleep.

On the days you are feeling your worst, we hope you will be willing to allow us to come and help you feel better. Sometimes we are all up and sometimes we all get down. There is no judgment that will ever come from us about how you choose to engage with your therapy. If you want to beat a drum and holler, we will be there with you in the moment. If you want to hold a shaker and cry, we will be there in the moment with you. Feel free to cry. We want you to know you will not have to be in that moment alone. If you want to dance and shout and sing, we will be there in the moment with you. If you want quiet reflection, we will be there in the moment with you and do our best to support you in any way possible. We will always respect your right to ask us to not come and see you; but we feel you should know, we are qualified and well-trained to help you manage your thoughts and feelings in the moment and to help you manage the symptoms and emotions that may be present on those days.

We know – not just for ourselves – but from experience, that music sometimes brings strong emotions to the surface and sometimes it can be sudden and overwhelming. We want you to know that we will be with you in those moments and we will help you – even if the help we are able to provide is just to listen and comfort you. We will gladly welcome your family members and caregivers to share in those moments if that is your wish. We will help you write songs to convey your message or to have a conversation.

And if you are dying, we will do our best to help you do so as gracefully and peacefully as possible. We will come and see you in your final moments. We know that dying happens in stages and at all ages; and even though there may come a stage of the process where your are not able to respond or to engage, we know you will still be able to hear us – even if you cannot respond. We will share the history of our journey together and we will be there even after you have gone. We will work to help give comfort to your family during the grieving process and help them all say “until we meet again” to you. If your family asks us to provide music for your memorial services, we will be there and we will share the legacy you have left behind with them all. We will still think of you after you have gone.

At G^sus, once you have become part of our music therapy family, we will never forget you. We will always remember the honor and privilege it was to be with you. All of our clients and patients are part of our extended family and will always be a part of our hearts. We are fully committed to aid you in your life’s journey – however that looks.

Thank you for being a part of the G^sus Music Therapy family.

The G^sus Music Therapy Treatment Team