2016 – Metro Music Therapy

Children’s Bereavement Services

Do you know of a child who is currently experiencing grief? We may not think of it too often, but where there are grieving adults, there are sure to be grieving children. girl-with-candle

The holidays can be a very difficult time for a young one to experience the sorrows that can accompany death or divorce.

You may know a child who is experiencing anticipatory grief; a grief reaction that occurs before an impending loss. If a child knows that their sibling, parent, grandparent, or friend will soon die, they are likely already grieving and may need additional support.

Our Songs of Hope Children’s Bereavement Music Therapy Services may be just what they need. All services are absolutely free due to grant-funding from Wellspring International.

Please share this post to help us reach more hurting families in the metro Atlanta area.

Mallory Even2016-12-13T21:48:46+00:00December 13th, 2016|Grief & Loss, Holidays, Music Therapy|

Adaptive Lessons coming to Vinings!

We are so thrilled to announce that, beginning in January 2017, we will be offering Adaptive Lessons at The Music Studio at Vinings!

How do you know if Adaptive Lessons are right for your child? Here is our handy dandy checklist that you can use to find out:

Does your child love music?
Are they motivated by music?
Has your child struggled in music lessons before?
Does your child have learning differences?
Do you think your child would struggle with standard teaching styles?
Does your child have a formal diagnosis or IEP?

If you answered yes to 2 or more of the above questions, your child may thrive in Adaptive Music Lessons with our trained and qualified staff! All of our team members have a background in music therapy, which means that instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we adapt our teaching style to best fit your child’s needs.

We still have a few openings for Saturday mornings, so call or email today to schedule!
404.579.8070
mallory@metromusictherapyga.com

Download our flyer here: adaptive-lessons-flyer

Mallory Even2016-12-12T16:43:38+00:00December 12th, 2016|Adaptive Lessons|

Fall 2016 Event Schedule

SEPTEMBER 2016

09.23.16 – Falls Prevention Day at Shepherd Center – (flyer: falls-prevention)
09.24.16 – Falls Prevention Day at West Cobb Regional Library
09.27.16 – Wellspring International Women’s Symposium, “The Impetus of Grief”

OCTOBER 2016

10.02.16 – Northside Perinatal Loss “Walk to Remember”
10.04.16 – Helping Mamas “Thrive” Event
10.10.16 – MMT presents at Georgia Health Care Association’s Activity Director Annual Meeting

NOVEMBER 2016

11.07.16 – Georgia Health Care Association’s Activity Director’s Training
11.11.16 – The Alchemy Sky Foundation Veteran’s Day Fundraiser
11.12.16 – MMT Vision Casting Retreat

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00September 15th, 2016|news|

Another Year of Amazing …

I will never forget the day this summer …

… that I received a phone call from the mother of a 13-year-old who had a terminal diagnosis. “I know that music therapy is effective for my child, but we cannot afford services on top of all of the medical bills. Is there a way that you can help?”

Because of our partnership with Wellspring International, my answer was, “Yes, we can help. We will have a music therapist come out to your home this week and begin services at no cost to you and your family.”

We received word last Friday that our grant-funded music therapy program, Songs of Hope, will be funded for the next fiscal year by Wellspring International (October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017).

What does this mean for Atlanta?

It means that hospice patients and their families, bereaved children, and refugees that are currently residing in Atlanta, will all have access to music therapy services at absolutely no cost to them.

It means that patients and their families can be supported during their darkest and most difficult times. It means that children can begin their healing process and have a supportive presence throughout their grief and loss journey. It means that refugees of all ages and from all over the world can receive support during some of life’s hardest transitions.

**How has Songs of Hope already made in impact in Atlanta?**

One of our partner hospice companies, Ark Hospice, says this of the Songs of Hope Music Therapy Program:

Our Ark Hospice team is truly so thankful for the services that MMT has provided to our patients and families. We have seen how their calming presence and therapeutic sessions have improved our patients’ lives. They’ve helped our patients with pain management, encouraged healthy coping skills, improved their quality of life and have facilitated emotional expression, reminiscence, and life review.

They also served many of our patients individually, and one particular patient struggled through a period of depression related to feeling purposeless in life. As Sam continued to meet with her and connect through music, he was able to help restore some confidence in her spiritual purpose and was able to provide healthy distraction from her anxiety and physical pain. He taught her coping skills that she was able to use when our team was not there to provide reassurance. She always talked about how much she enjoyed his visits and how she felt calmer and more at peace as a result.

Another patient was unable to speak English – Spanish was her native language. Erin quickly volunteered to provide services to her and was able to play Spanish hymns and folk songs. Though this patient was nonverbal and Erin was only able to provide a few sessions before she was off of hospice services, her family was extremely appreciative and truly believed that her quality of life was greatly improved during her final weeks of life. They even asked Erin to play for her Memorial Service.

I know that these brief stories cannot adequately capture all that MMT had done, but I hope that they provide a snapshot of how music therapy has impacted our hospice patients throughout their end-of-life journeys. Thank you again for all that you do at Metro Music Therapy!

We are honored, humbled, and thrilled to be able to continue our partnership with Wellspring International in order to make a positive impact in the lives and hearts of the people of Atlanta.

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00September 1st, 2016|Grief & Loss, Hospice Music Therapy, MT in Healthcare, news|

Now Hiring FULL-Time Music Therapist!

08.11.16 – NOW HIRING FULL-TIME MUSIC THERAPIST IN ATLANTA!

Location: Atlanta, GA

Start Date: August 29, 2016

Hours: Full-time position; hourly pay with potential to become salaried

Position Description: MMT team member will provide individual and group music therapy services and community support services to clients of all ages located throughout the Metro Atlanta area

Populations Served in this Position: Hospice patients, bereaved children and families, refugees, in-home pediatric clients, at-risk youth in residential facilities, adults with traumatic brain injury, memory care patients in ALF/NH facilities

Job Requirements:

Must be an MT-BC
Must be Licensed to practice MT in Georgia
Completed Criminal Background Check
Must be willing to work some evenings and occasional weekends
Willingness to travel (paid travel time & some mileage reimbursement)
Ability to work cooperatively with an Interdisciplinary Treatment Team
Hospice experience preferred

Salary: Hourly pay; Commensurate with experience

Download Application here:
Application for Employment – PDF
Application for Employment – Word Document Form

Please send completed application and resume to:
Mallory Even, LPMT, MT-BC, Certified NICU MT
Owner & Director, Metro Music Therapy
Mallory@metromusictherapyga.com

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00August 8th, 2016|Music Therapy, news|

Children’s Grief & Loss Groups – Fall 2016

We are so excited to announce the start of our Fall 2016 Children’s Grief & Loss Groups!

Children affected by the death of a loved one can experience a wide array of emotions and feelings that are often too complicated for them to process on their own.

Our Board-Certified Music Therapists have specialized training in grief & loss music therapy. We lead music therapy groups which are designed to carefully and intentionally help each child move through the stages of grief in a safe, creative, and caring environment.

These Fall 2016 groups will take place on Wednesday evenings with Kally Ramminger.

Session Dates: Wednesdays (8/10/16 – 11/02/16)
Session Times: 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Session Location:
Peachtree Corners Baptist Church
Room D130
4480 Peachtree Corners Circle
Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
Register here!

songs of hope logo2

admin2016-12-03T04:33:09+00:00August 4th, 2016|Grief & Loss, Music Therapy, Pediatric|

MMT & Northside Hospital

maternity Metro Music Therapy is thrilled to announce the details of their newest project that is being completed with the H.E.A.R.T. strings Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care office at Northside Hospital.

The MMT team and H.E.A.R.T. strings have been working for months to write original scripts and original music for a Relaxation CD for parents who have lost or are anticipating the loss of their baby.

The CD will be finished in the Fall of 2016 and once completed, will be available for public purchase. Proceeds will benefit H.E.A.R.T. strings patients at Northside Hospital.

You can learn more about the bereavement services Metro Music Therapy offers here. Click here to learn more about the H.E.A.R.T. strings Perinatal Bereavement and Palliative Care program.

admin2016-12-03T04:33:11+00:00August 3rd, 2016|Medical, MT in Healthcare, Music Therapy, music therapy and wellness, stress, Uncategorized, Wellness|

5 Dos and Don’ts for Advocacy in the Community

DO validate a person’s perceived idea of music therapy. Hear me out… the quickest way for someone to shut down in a conversation about music therapy is to immediately negate their perception of our field. How many times have you caught yourself saying “well actually….”? Try to sincerely validate one’s perception before diving into conversation about any misconceptions they may have.

DON’T start rambling off a list every population you work and/or goals you work on when you describe your role as a therapist. Sometimes simplicity is key. Try making your answer as concise and understandable as possible without lots of MT jargon! Exhibit A: I help hospice patients control their pain with music-assisted relaxation. Trust me, it’ll open the door to many questions that will allow you to further explain!

DO stay up to date with research. This is easier said than done- if you’re like me (hey! Kally here), reading studies can sometimes be tedious and time-consuming. BUT- reading and knowing about the latest research in music therapy is not only valuable as a clinician, it can also be really helpful when advocating for music therapy. How? Glad you asked! I just recently read a few studies that focused on a particular intervention for a type of patient that I was working with, which seamlessly translated into a really meaningful, rapport building conversation with the patient’s nurse when speaking with her about how the patient was doing! Any time you can show or explain that there is research to back up what you are doing, the easier it will be for other professionals to understand the value of music therapy. Note: This may not be true for every profession in every circumstance. This is simply what my experience has been as a music therapist working with other medical and healthcare professionals. Proceed with caution.

DON’T get defensive and frustrated. As I watch and communicate with music therapists from around the country, I’m often shocked by how defensive some of my fellow professionals get by someone not knowing what music therapy is or not defining it correctly. The only way this will ever change is if we take a step back, take a deep breath, and become productive (not defensive or frustrated) in conversations to work toward our goal of helping people to understand music therapy and the work we do as music therapists. Or as our Assistant Director Sam, likes to say- MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO EAT A SLICE OF HUMBLE PIE EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.

DO create healthy, respectful relationships with other healthcare professionals. In a field where we are constantly advocating for our services, it can sometimes be tiring and frustrating when we feel like our voices are not being heard or that we are not on the same page as our coworkers. Creating healthy, respectful, and genuine relationships with others is so important—even if it’s not the easiest thing to do.

So I leave you with a challenge- try to implement one of these strategies the next time you find yourself advocating for music therapy. Which will likely be tomorrow. 🙂

This post is a part of the 2016 AMTA/CBMT Social Media Advocacy Month. Head over to the project website to read more advocacy blog posts! #mtadvocacy

admin2016-12-03T04:33:12+00:00January 20th, 2016|MT Advocacy|