What Is Music Therapy?
Music connects us.
Music moves us.
Music meets us where we are.
Music therapy is for people of all ages and stages of life, from pregnancy and early childhood through adolescence, adulthood, older age, and end-of-life care.
Sessions can happen one-on-one or in a group and are thoughtfully shaped around each person’s unique strengths, needs, interests, and relationship with music.
And there’s no single way to do music therapy. It might look like creating, playing, singing, listening, moving, improvising, or simply experiencing music together. A session might be structured and goal-oriented, spontaneous and playful, or somewhere in between.
Every person brings their own story. Every session brings its own rhythm. Music therapy creates space for connection, expression, discovery, and meaningful moments—using music as a powerful pathway toward greater well-being.
Music Therapy That Meets You Where You Are
Every person—and every group—is unique. That’s why our music therapy experiences are thoughtfully customized to meet your needs, goals, interests, and strengths.
Explore our selection of unique, evidence-based Music Therapy Programs, designed to use the power of music to support connection, expression, growth, and well-being.
Not sure which program is the right fit? Let’s talk! Schedule a complimentary consultation with Portia Lahey, MA, MT-BC, Soulshine’s board-certified music therapist. Together, we’ll explore what you’re looking for and find the right rhythm for you.
Our Music Therapy Programs
Songwriting & Composition
Enjoy creating original songs, lyrics, and music to explore emotions, experiences, identity, and personal stories.
Benefits:
- Creative Expression — Using music as a powerful outlet for thoughts, feelings, memories, and experiences that can be difficult to express in words.
- Finding Your Voice — Discovering new ways to communicate, reflect, and share your story through music.
Perfect For: Teens, Couples, Workplace Teams
Sing-A-Long
Making music through familiar songs, singing, and instruments to foster connection, participation, self-expression, confidence, memory, and the joy of making music together.
Benefits:
- Supports connection and participation—
- Encourages self-expression and confidence—
Perfect For: Senior Living communities, caregivers and families, people living with dementia, company team-building
Therapeutic Sound Experiences
Immersive sound experiences using instruments and resonant sounds such as harp, singing bowls, chimes, drums, percussion, and voice to create space for relaxation, mindfulness, reflection, and well-being. These experiences can stand alone as wellness offerings or be incorporated into music therapy when appropriate.
Enjoy:
- Relaxation
- Mindfulness
- Reflection
- Opportunities for connection with sound and vibration
Perfect For: Girls night gathering, Yoga + Wellness studios, Company wellness events, Retreats, Employee Appreciation
Meet Portia
Portia is a board-certified music therapist, lifelong musician, and passionate believer in the power of music to bring people together. She holds a Master of Arts in Music Therapy and has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults across behavioral health, memory care, developmental, healthcare, and community settings. She is also pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling as she works toward becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor.
A multi-instrumentalist with an endless curiosity for music, Portia is happiest when she’s learning a new instrument, discovering a new sound, or making music with others. She brings that same sense of curiosity, playfulness, and connection to her work with Soulshine Rhythm Experience—along with a love of rhythm, movement, improvisation, and creative music-making.
Portia takes a creative, person-centered, and music-centered approach to music therapy. She believes some of the most meaningful therapeutic moments happen within the music itself—when we create, listen, respond, and connect in ways that words alone sometimes can’t capture.
What she loves most is watching people find their place in the music and discovering what becomes possible when everyone contributes. Because sometimes the most powerful music is the music we create together.
