What to Expect

What to Expect:
Music Therapy and other Expressive Arts sessions may occur on an individual level (just
you and the therapist/facilitator) or in a group setting. Depending on your preference,
you may be in a private studio/office, in a community center, at a drumming circle on the
beach, or in your own home or garden. There might be musical instruments or simply a
stereo player; there may be art supplies or just an empty space in which to move.
Special arrangements for clients who are immobilized at home or in an institution, e.g.
hospice or Alzheimer's patients, are easily made.

Regardless of where we meet, it all starts with a sense of safety; that is, your trusting
that you won't be criticized or judged for who you are or the sounds you create and the
art that you make. This critic-free environment is the key to opening the door to your
authentic self. This foundation is based on our beliefs that 1) feelings are not to be
argued or denied - they just are; 2) honest and appropriate expression of these feelings
is vital to moving through them; and 3) true art is a subjective experience that should
not be adjudicated. In other words, regardless of how your art looks, sounds, or moves,
we at Hearts'Arts believe in the intrinsic value of your art being expressed.

Each session is designed around your individual needs, desires, and goals, your creative
comfort zone, your musical/artistic preferences, your cultural heritage, your spiritual or
religious beliefs, pertinent medical conditions, and your age. And while at times we may
ask you to stretch out of your creative comfort zone, we respect your right to choose in
which activities you will particpate.

Next, we provide several modalities through which your imagination may run free: music,
art, drama, poetry, crafts, storytelling, and dance/movement. This way you can explore
and discover which one(s) work best for you. Deb, for example, who is a Music Therapist,
emphasizes music-based approaches (e.g. music listening, lyric analysis, music-making,
and songwriting, to name a few), while utilizing supporting arts from other modalities. If
YOU work better, though, through drama or movement-based media, for example, Deb will
suggest a therapist who is specially trained in one of those areas.

Regardless of the modality, our goals are your goals. Whether you come to Hearts'Arts
for stress management, elucidation and expression of feelings, as an antidote to
depression, or simply to break some ruts, it's our job to enrich your journey by eliciting
insight, healing and renewal. That's our promise.

Your time with Hearts'Arts is for YOU - to be yourself - without judgment. JUST IMAGINE!