Meghan has been a music therapist in oncology (cancer care) for just over a year. She works with patients and their families to help them cope with...

My journey toward becoming a music therapist in mental health began with my work as a music educator among youth from disadvantaged and refugee com...

Music therapy in neonatal care provides an opportunity to use music to support infants and families throughout their time at the hospital. It provides safe stimulation through modified live music—such as humming, gentle guitar, and lullaby-style singing—that supports infants self-soothing and promotes comfort, stability, sleep, relaxation, and caregiver-infant bonding.

I’ve always known about the impact of music in my own life—it was a place of refuge for me, growing up in an environment where my queer identity was not welcomed in a rural community. It eventually became my passion as a musician, which brought me to studying music in university.

Ainslie is a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Music Therapist who works with patients from Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry (CAIP). She helps youth expand their use of music in order to support mental wellness. Here is her story about what it is like to be a music therapist who works with children and youth receiving mental health care at Grand River Hospital:

I always identified with music and always wondered why music can be so motivational. I was first introduced to music therapy when I had the opportunity to interview Elizabeth Mitchell, assistant professor and current coordinator of the Bachelor of Music Therapy at Wilfrid Laurier University. Mitchell explained the different models of music therapy and provided such significant case scenarios that I immediately fell in love with the field.

March is Music Therapy Awareness Month, and all month long we will be sharing stories about music therapy and our incredible team of music therapists to celebrate their profound and positive impact on patients and families at Grand River Hospital:

In the Child and Adolescent Mental Health programs, music therapy helps youth connect with their strengths and hope for recovery. A client named Beth* said that music therapy was the one thing she looked forward to during her in-patient stay at Grand River Hospital.