Hey! I’m Carly.
Life Transitions
Emotional Regulation Skills
Anxiety/Stress Reduction
Medical Trauma Processing
Self-Awareness & Personal Insight
Professional Philosophy
Music is a phenomenon that naturally brings people together, connecting them through rhythm, emotion, and shared experiences. I consider myself a humanistic therapist with a client-directed and person-centered focus. I believe that therapy is driven by the development of meaningful relationships, which serve as the essential force guiding the direction of our work together. We will identify obstacles impacting your life and explore solutions that promote growth.
While I value the flexibility and adaptability of music therapy and the creative arts, sessions may not always entail music-making. My aim is to meet you where you are, exploring both verbal and creative forms of expression that resonate with you to delve deeper into the issues at hand.Together, we will create an environment that fosters connection, expression, and communication. Musical and creative processes can offer profound opportunities for self-examination and reflection, leading to greater clarity and insight into your internal and external worlds. Since the creative process is inherently collaborative, we will navigate this journey together, tailoring the experience to suit your needs. My mission is for my clients to gain an enriched sense of empowerment and self-awareness when dealing with all aspects of life.
“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”
― Leonard Bernstein
Personal Background
Music is my life, literally! I grew up surrounded by music—listening to my parents serenade me to sleep on the guitar, dancing around my house to The Beatles, singing improvised songs with my Barbies, and putting on performances for my family. Music brought meaning, joy, and purpose into my life. I have witnessed the many ways music bridged connection, provided validation, enriched memories, and welcomed creative freedom of expression. I knew that I needed to share this with others but didn’t exactly know how.
When I was in middle school, my family and I were asked to provide music for a mass created for families with children who have special needs. Not only did this spark my love for working with this population, but it also exposed me to the powerful impact music offers in building a sense of community, fostering human connection, and empowering authentic self-expression. This discovery was later reinforced when I had the opportunity to shadow a music therapist at a children’s hospital. The moment I was introduced to music therapy, everything clicked!
Over the course of my educational training and career, my love and passion for music therapy has intensified and grown exponentially. I have witnessed and observed how music and the creative arts offer an alternative way of processing, communicating, relating, and healing. All humans are creative beings. The arts are an innate life force that attunes our minds, bodies, and souls. I goal is that my love and passion for music will motivate and resonate within my clients.
AREAS OF FOCUS
All of us here at START address the mental health areas of stress, trauma, and anxiety in our practice. We apply these three topics to unique, specific challenges that our clients are going through. I also offer specialized areas in the following areas:
Acute and/or Chronic Medical Conditions
Hospitalization (whether you are a patient, family member, or sibling) is an incredibly stressful and often traumatizing experience. Working in a medical setting, I have assisted and supported patients and their families navigate through the stress of inpatient and outpatient care. Music therapy is effective in promoting healthy coping strategies, reducing stress, managing pain, processing medical trauma, and offering bereavement support (e.g. loss of a loved one or the impacts of a terminal diagnosis). I am familiar and comfortable working alongside healthcare professionals who struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic to rebuild self-esteem, identity, and resilience.
Self-Awareness
Often, people seek therapeutic services to deepen their understanding of self and to promote insight, fulfillment, and healthy relationships. Music therapy, creative arts, and verbal therapy are effective modalities that are utilized to bring unconscious material to one’s current state of awareness. As a trained analytical music therapist, I specialize in examining the depths of one’s internal psyche and explore unconscious material through musical or arts-based interventions. We may also incorporate mindfulness, embodiment, and somatic exercises to assist in deeper reflection. My aim is to act as a supportive guide in promoting self-awareness and a stronger sense of self.