What is Music Therapy?
At St. Jude, music is an inherently healing treatment strategy. Due to its flexible nature, music can impact patients and families of various ages, backgrounds and cultural affiliations. Through individualized assessment and treatment planning, music therapists can help your child achieve a variety of goals including: reduction of anxiety, reduction of pain perception, alternate engagement during medical procedures, emotional expression, memory/legacy building, developmental support, family integration, and support through physical rehabilitation. With music therapy, patients are given the opportunity to express themselves, make choices and feel accomplished while learning to cope with the hospital environment.
Why Does Music Therapy Work?
Music therapists may use many interventions to support patients and families at St. Jude during treatment. In order to provide effective care, music therapists will encourage patients and families to share ideas for goals and music preferences in group and individual settings.
For more information about music therapy or our current group sessions, please contact the Child Life Department at (901) 595-3020.
The Music Therapy Team
There are three full time music therapists at St. Jude, serving all clinical areas and available to families by referral. Any patient can be consulted to music therapy services by either a member of the treatment team, a family member or by the patient themselves. Once a referral is made, the music therapist consults both the medical chart and the interdisciplinary team to identify potential goal areas, as well as music’s potential role in treatment. By allowing the patient/family to lead the direction of therapy, growth of this therapeutic relationship, and flexibility in music interventions, positive outcomes are achievable.
Music therapists at St. Jude are nationally certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapists and hold Music Therapist Board Certified (MT-BC) credentials.
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Amy Love, MA, MT-BC
Love
Area of Focus: Solid Tumor & Neuro-Oncology
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Celeste Douglas, MT-BC
Douglas
Area of Focus: Bone Marrow Transplant, Infectious Disease & Procedures
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Lizzie Digiovanni, MT-BC
Digiovanni
Area of Focus: Leukemia, Lymphoma & Hematology
