Name: What is Music Therapy?
Uploaded: 2024-06-08T15:22:56.247Z
Duration: 2 min 29 s

We all know that music is incredibly powerful, especially when we are the ones creating it. With the right therapist, music therapy can be right for anyone, regardless of age, ability, or diagnosis. When you learn music through the therapeutic lens, all the different aspects of your Self are considered: psychological, emotional, spiritual, physical, and more. Music therapy must be conducted by a board certified music therapist who knows how to create a safe and nourishing space, and how to work with the difficult “stuff” that might come up. There’s no downside to trying music therapy—nothing to lose and everything to gain! 

Music Therapy

I have a Master's degree in Music Therapy, am a nationally board certified music therapist (MT-BC); performer and vocal instructor (Bachelor's in Music Performance); I am a Life Coach with 7+ years experience; certified yoga instructor and meditation guide (200+); certified and attuned Reiki master; professional writer and editor (Bachelor’s in creative writing). I am also a Crisis Text Line Counselor.

...I find joy in a lot of places! And often I find these areas of study inform and augment each other.

Music therapy has afforded me a great deal of experience working with children, teens, and adults with special needs including, autism spectrum disorder, Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, emotional disturbances and developmental delays as well as teens and adults with psychosocial issues, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, grief, ADHD, personality disorders, and more.

As a voice teacher, I want to help my students settle comfortably into their own musicality by showing them the building blocks of a solid technique, drawing particularly from the things that helped me grow as a vocalist. I want my students to feel strong in their body, comfortable and relaxed in their breath, and confident in their performance.

I am a professional vocalist in NYC. I perform liturgical and classical music, as well as musical theater repertoire. I participate in professional operas, choral groups and other concert series, as well as professional theater work.

Performing gives me a sense of bliss and completeness that is indescribable.

As a certified yoga instructor, I teach in many locations throughout NYC. I was trained at Yoga Haven in Scarsdale, New York with Betsy Kase, and earned a 200-hour certificate in Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. I went on to complete advanced trainings and now specialize in restorative yoga, prenatal yoga, yin yoga and therapeutics.

It is a joy to offer Reiki to curious, open clients in need of energy healing. Reiki is a noninvasive energy healing technique totally separate of any religious affiliation and available to anyone. It is a difficult to describe the relaxing, soothing, and deep-healing effects of Reiki to someone who has never experienced.

In Life Coaching sessions, we will explore everything about you, holistically. We will speak about triggers, trauma, and past wounding, and how these may be affecting you. We will work together to elevate your life through the use of talk therapy, embodiment practices, somatic safety, breath practices, shadow work, meditation, yoga, creative writing, journaling, energy work and Reiki, music, ecstatic dance, and more.

I offer all my sessions virtually, and it has been so beautiful being able to connect with people from all over the world.

I feel confident in my abilities to create a safe, nourishing space of acceptance and pure love so that you are safe, held, and can find healing.

*Note: If you don't see a time slot that is suitable to your needs but would like to try a session with me, feel free to register for the Flex Plan, and we will work out week-to-week times!!**

**Note: If you are interested in music therapy, tell me with a bit about yourself (or your loved one) and your personal goals, as well as the qualities you hope to find in your therapist.

What is Music Therapy? 

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Yoga

Piano

Meditation

Creative Writing

Audition Prep

Music Performance

Writing

Reiki

Life Coaching

Guitar

Singing

Vocal Training

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

AMTA's purpose is the progressive development of the therapeutic use of music in rehabilitation, special education, and community settings. Predecessors, unified in 1998, included the National Association for Music Therapy founded in 1950 and the American Association for Music Therapy founded in 1971. AMTA is committed to the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession.

Yoga Alliance is the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community. Our mission is to spread the power of yoga one person at a time.

We believe that the individual experience of yoga is of paramount importance, and are committed to supporting the passage of yoga from trainer to teacher, teacher to student, and student to aspiring yogi. Our role as the national support organization for the yoga community is to ensure that the practice of yoga will keep growing, so that more people will connect with yoga and be transformed. As an organization we keep several core values at heart: service, excellence, transparency, learning and community.

Founded in 1944, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. (NATS) is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world with more than 7,000 members worldwide.

We are a professional reiki association that features a code of ethics and professional standards of practice. Our purpose is to provide professional recognition for members at the same time we make it possible for those seeking Reiki sessions and classes to find qualified practitioners and teachers.

IYNAUS's mission is to spread the teachings of B. K. S. Iyengar and the Iyengar Family. The IYNAUS Board believes that central to that mission is helping Iyengar Yoga teachers promote their classes, to inform more people about Iyengar Yoga and to bring them its unique benefits. Students are urged to "Look for the Mark" in choosing a teacher — the Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark.

The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 122,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members.

The National Association of Pastoral Musicians fosters the art of musical liturgy. The members of NPM serve the Catholic Church in the United States as musicians, clergy, liturgists, and other leaders of prayer.

Hands on Assistance in Yoga, Advance Training

Yoga Nidra

Counseling Skills for Music Therapist

An in-depth training in yoga sequencing, yoga philosophy and meditation for individuals overcoming moderate to severe depression.

Yoga for Depression

Studying with a world famous GIM practitioner and educator, this training provides music therapists with specialized focus on guided meditation, relaxation, and training in guided imagery using music programs to facilitate therapeutic experiences.

Helen Bonny Guided Imagery and Music

This natural, hands-on healing technique works as a wonderful supplement to any therapeutic modality. Based on inducing states of deep relaxation and meditation, this chakra based energy healing is used to regulate energetic systems in the body, allow for the release of stored emotions, and promote healing.

Reiki Master

An advanced study of yoga for prenatal moms to aid in maximizing comfort, decreasing anxiety, preparing for their birth experience, and strengthening their bodies for a more easeful postpartum experience.

Advanced Prenatal Teacher Training 85 hr

A year long intensive course training the instructor in anatomy and physiology, yoga philosophy, the history of yoga, asana, pranayama, meditation, and teaching techniques.

Certified Yoga Instructor

This is the national credential certifying that an individual has been adequately trained and supervised in conducting music therapy. 

Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC)

An in-depth program for advanced training in the area of prenatal yoga yoga, including: sequencing options during pregnancy, assists, contraindications, emotional support, and preparation for both.

Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training

CPR/AED trained and certified for emergency care if needed.

CPR/AED

Birth doula training and certification applicant with training in birth planning, birth support, and postpartum support.

Birth Doula

This advanced training has afforded me the tools to work with people with diverse needs in a gentle modality with sequences tailored to meet the needs of the individual.

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training

Offering music therapy within the recreational setting for individuals with special needs.

Music Therapist

Offering music therapy for children and adolescents with special needs as part of an interdisciplinary approach to wellness.

I offer multiple group and private classes a week, focusing on gentle restorative yoga, prenatal yoga, pranayama, and meditation practice.

Yoga Instructor

Offering music therapy in the loving context of hospice care.

Music director at my local RC church, playing hymns on piano, vocalist, music preparation and planning, and direction of the choir.

Music Director

Yoga, meditation, and relaxation techniques taught to medical professionals in a hospital setting.

Healing Arts Therapist

Assisting women through their prenatal, birth, and postpartum experiences.

Music preparation, playing piano, singing for churches (masses, funerals, weddings, baptism) a selection of traditional and contemporary hymns, classical repertoire, and occasional music from popular culture.

Church Musician

A text line open 24/7 for people experiencing psychological and/or emotional distress. Please research this organization if you ever need immediate support

Crisis Text Line Counselor

Music direction of the children's choir, folk choir, adult choir, volunteer cantor (soloist) program, and handbell choir. Pianist/organist and vocalist.

Life coaching sessions include talk therapy, yoga, breath work, music, energy healing, shadow work, mirror work, manifestation practices and so much more!

Life Coach

Writing, editing, and ghost writing for various companies, apps, and more.

Professional Writer and Editor

Music therapy is a therapeutic discipline that can only be legally practiced by board certified music therapists (MT-BC). Music therapy has been described as  “a systematic process of intervention wherein the therapist helps the client to promote health, using music experiences and the relationships that develop through them as dynamic forces of change.” A music therapist is first and foremost a therapist, with a host of experiences of how to promote psychological, emotional, and physical change using music as a medium. 

I have a Master's degree in music therapy, am board certified and have years of internship, fieldwork, fellowship and professional experience working with individuals with special needs. I have experience working with children, teens, and young adults with ASD, Down's syndrome, Rhett's syndrome, cerebral palsy, ADHD, and other pervasive developmental delays. I have extensive experience working with older adults with Alzheimer's/Dementia, Parkinson's, TBI, anxiety/depression, those coping with grief, and more. I am comfortable working with diverse populations, with individuals of all ages and backgrounds.  

I find so much joy in this area of my work, and am so passionate about the beauty I've seen in the process. I would be happy to answer any and all questions about this field.

Jillian put me at ease when I was nervous to begin and I am excited to continue working with her!

I’ve been taking life coaching sessions with Jillian for 7 months and have done reiki/yoga sessions with her for about 7 years.  She is exceptional in how she makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. I usually leave our reiki sessions feeling like there’s nothing I can’t do for the rest of the day.

As a life coach, Jillian has helped steer me towards more positive thinking in regards to how I treat myself. Through the use of journaling and meditative techniques, I feel I have been better able to have control over various aspects in my life the past 6 months. 

I am very thankful for Jillian’s sessions and knowledge. She is a kind and caring individual who gives her all for her clients. If you’re considering any of her services, I couldn’t recommend highly enough!

Jillian is an exceptional teacher of the highest caliber. Learning to sing has been a longtime desire of mine but my lack of pitch or skill and general doubt made me believe that it was just not possible. But Jillian went above and beyond to ensure I felt comfortable and confident to explore the full range of vocal expression. Her extensive experience and expertise are evident in her insightful guidance, tailored specifically to address the areas that I was struggling with during the lesson. And so each week, she's providing customized exercises based on those areas that need more attention and improvement. Her instructions are clear, precise, and have truly helped me to gradually make REAL progress. I cannot say enough about just how incredible of a teacher she is! Thank you sooo much Jillian =)

Wonderful!  She is so knowledgeable, encouraging and supportive.  I hadn’t sung in 30 years but her instruction, delivered in a very caring way, has let me find my voice again!  No matter how I’m feeling in general before my lesson I always feel really good after 😊

ms.jillian is a great teacher because she is very understanding and flexible. she gives great critiques and i have grown so much with her. she is always positive and encouraging while making every lesson a fun and safe environment!

Jillian has been a creative writing tutor for our daughter for a couple of years. We originally wanted to give our kids some additional tutoring support during COVID, but our daughter's enjoyment of writing has absolutely blossomed while working with Jillian and we have continued the lessons since her writing interests are still so high. In addition to nurturing her creative outlet, it has been a big help during important English assignments to have the additional support. Our daughter always looks forward to the lessons which is hard to do with teenager girls. We are very grateful we have had Jillian's support during these difficult years.

I feel so lucky to have been paired with Jillian! Been taking lessons from her for a year for singing. She provides such a loving, safe space for singers of all skill levels. Jillian has such a great background in music! She understood my unique style and helps me develop my vocal range and confidence as a singer and song writer. She’s so passionate about helping people and has such a warm and loving personality. Honestly feel like she’s become a friend as well as one of my favorite instructors ever. Thank you for believing in my voice and challenging me to do more! I couldn’t recommend her more to anyone with any range of experience in singing. Whether you’ve been singing all your life or just starting out! And any musical style! She also plays and teaches piano, is a music therapist, yoga instructor, etc. and has incredible skill and talent herself! She brings all of her experience to a uniquely crafted session. You won’t regret learning from her! We also dive into other things that block us from not going for it. Thanks for being an amazing listener, teacher, and human!

I've had a lot of voice teachers in the past, but with Jillian, I've NEVER seen so much progress in such little time! She's really the GOAT! I always had very little confidence when it came to my voice but she put all those fears to rest! She exudes passion and knowledge with every session, and she's teached me in 1 lesson what my other teachers couldn't in various sessions. Love this woman to death! And I know with Jillian by my side, I'll achieve all my dreams and goals in no time!

Jillian is a miracle worker! Most of my life I believed I was tone deaf and never sang. I only started singing lessons after reading how it was great for mental health during Covid. Fast forward a year of working with Jillian, and I just received high praise at an open mic for emotional expressiveness, pitch accuracy and high notes. This is CRAZY. I've gained ear training skills, breath support, accuracy, a solid two and a half octave range (had less than half that when we started), and the ability to express my emotions and touch others through music. Jillian is that rare gem of a teacher who was capable of helping me get there from zero. She's incredibly supportive, but will also push you to new levels. You walk out of her lessons filled with joy for music and more in love with life. Could not recommend Jillian more sincerely and enthusiastically - whatever level you are, working with her is a gift!

I'm so glad I accidentally picked a music therapist to teach me to sing! She not only helps me to sing and learn techniques, but also can talk with me/support me through emotions I have during this process. Jillian is also very flexible to my needs of the session and holds a non-judgmental space so I feel more comfortable with singing and being expressive.

If 5 stars is for Best instructor ever than Jillian is the winner!  When I first started, I was so afraid of singing off pitch that  I was afraid to sing!  Jillian has helped me to gain confidence for singing from my heart, expressing emotion. I do not even worry about pitch anymore.  All of Jillian's  students are so lucky like me to have Jillian for support and guidance to make our dreams a reality!

I ADORE Jillian! She is so sweet and encouraging. When my schedule is crazy she does everything in her power to accommodate me.  It is clear that she knows what she is doing.  After trying to teach myself guitar for YEARS, with the way she explains things, I am already further along after just 3 lessons. She also has a gorgeous voice! I can't wait to continue learning from her!

Jillian is fantastic! It's been a pleasure attending the weekly lesson. She's patient, kind and always willing to break down each step as much as needed. I can see a bright, in-tune future ahead :) Thanks Jillian!

Yoga for Singers

So many of us are so caught up in our heads when we sing: worrying, judging, strategizing, trying to do everything right....But so much of the sound comes from the body! Presence, mindfulness, groundedness are so incredibly important for producing healthy, beautiful sounds that actually feel good. Explore Yoga for Singers as part of your 1:1 session or join a group class to see how it changes your experience singing. 

Yoga for Singers

Hi! Thank you for being here. This super short video offers a few words about my 1:1 singing sessions that combine music therapy AND vocal coaching. As a board certified music therapist (MS, MT-BC) and professional vocalist (BS) I have been practicing music therapy and performing in NYC since 2011. I know that sometimes we need a therapeutic approach when working with and finding our voice. It's what I needed and what I offer. 

Therapeutic Singing Lessons and Vocal Coaching

A 90 minute live workshop replay using therapeutic techniques, vocal techniques, and interpersonal connection to find your truest, most authentic, and healthiest voice. Hope you enjoy! xo 

The Healed Voice--Live Webinar Recording! 

A nourishing 40 minute chair yoga class for all level practitioners. <3

Jillian V.

What is Music Therapy?

Jillian's Music Therapy videos