Our team here at Healing Harmonies consistently speaks about our “why.” Why do we push through adversity and resistance in our field? Why do we consistently fight for funding for services? Why do we continue to pour every day, sometimes running on empty ourselves? The answer always comes to our “why”—our North Star… our clients.
Healing Harmonies Music Therapy and Art Therapy services was created so that individuals throughout our surrounding communities may have access to experiencing the power that music and art can bring them. It is my passion as CEO and founder of Healing Harmonies to advocate for these professional services and our clients, constantly thinking outside of the box to obtain funding for all who are in need or interested in being empowered through these creative approaches.
Throughout the first eight months of 2024, Healing Harmonies touched over 750 individuals in Southeast Wisconsin with some therapeutic music and/or art approach. We utilize our skilled clinical knowledge to work with individuals ranging from ages 12 months old to 105 years old, holding varied diagnoses that can affect individuals physically, cognitively, psychosocially, psychologically, and spiritually. These services are provided in a one-on-one environment to focus on an individual’s strengths and areas of growth that they wish to work on, as well as in the group environment, providing opportunities for socialization, collaboration, and community.
While working throughout the community, Healing Harmonies staff operate as advocates for all those that we serve. This means that we are not only advocating for them to receive music or art therapy but also for their health and fair treatment. For instance, we served a client who resided in a skilled nursing facility. The individual’s room consistently smelled of urine and had a hole in the ceiling, leading to water leaking into this room. To find alternative options for this client, we sought out their case manager and the staff on-site to communicate these concerns. We consulted with an attorney to discuss possibly reporting this facility to the state. We followed through to bring this to the attention of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services. Regrettably, this individual passed before a resolution was reached for this situation. However, we did our best to find options for better, more humane care for our client. Everyone deserves ethical treatment and humane care.
We have held warm coat and clothing drives for the area’s homeless and students at underserved schools and food drives to donate to the local food bank.
Also, on the government level, I served as State President of the Wisconsin Chapter of Music Therapy. I have been working with this state board and our national association, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), to enact a bill seeking state licensure for music therapists in our state. This effort is being done primarily to protect clients and gain increased validity and recognition as an allied health profession in the hopes that we can obtain more varied types of funding for those in our community.
It is not uncommon for musicians and/or artists to state that they are using their art or music skills to provide music therapy and/or art therapy. Yet, they do not have the formal training required to be a Music Therapist or an Art Therapist. This is extremely important and can be dangerous to clientele as the misuse or inaccurate application of these modalities can induce harm to individuals. For instance, a general musician played music for a baby in the NICU without formal training. The baby turned blue and went into tachycardia in response to the misused application of music. Because this musician wasn’t a trained music therapist, they didn’t know how to adjust and respond in the moment to the subtle responses that this infant was displaying. This is just one of many examples of misrepresentation of these fields. State licensure would provide for title protection for Wisconsin Music Therapists as it would induce a fee to those misrepresenting the field.
Business ownership was never my plan when I was younger, and growth for the sake of money was not my goal. However, because we are walking marketing ads with our guitars on our backs and paint brushes in our hands, when others see the powerful effects that these modalities bring to others, they want it too. Through this organic growth, I have found my passion for working to meet the community’s needs. To meet these continuously growing needs for these services naturally comes the need for more hiring and growing our team. As a result, I have found another passion of mine: leading, shaping, and refining therapists, giving them space to grow professionally and personally. We partner with local universities to take on clinical students and interns, which helps us develop more highly qualified Music Therapists and Art Therapists who, in turn, enhance our overall ability to serve more clients in need of our unique assistance!
Healing Harmonies envisions a community transformed by the enduring power of music and the arts. We believe that creativity sparks a ripple effect, radiating outward to inspire, heal, and empower.
Our dedicated team crafts vibrant musical experiences and expressive artistic endeavors, generating waves of positive change that resonate far beyond our initial reach. Witnessing the profound impact of these creative ripples on individuals and our community fills us with immense pride and joy.
