775-453-4331
emily@blackrockmusictherapy.com
2470 Wrondel Way, Suite 101, Reno, Nevada
special event announcement!
black rock music therapy services presents...
friday, June 7th
Song and Story birthday bash!
148 West St, reno, nv
west st market
6:00 pm
8:00 pm
brmts is turning 1! Come sing a song, tell a story, read a poem, or join the audience, open mic style!
At Black Rock Music Therapy Services, we meet you where you are today, and honor you as the expert on your life.
We use musical applications like songwriting, instrument playing, vocal work, lyric discussion, visual arts, and other creative applications to address many concerns a person may face on their journey, as well as to enhance overall wellness and quality of life.
Black Rock Music Therapy Services is a social justice focused organization, welcoming persons of all ages, abilities, sizes, races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and cultural backgrounds.
Please call, text, or send us an email to inquire about services. We are looking forward to getting to know you!
Who may benefit from music therapy?
The American Music Therapy Association has provided fact sheets to help inform the public about how and why music therapy is effective with different needs a person may have. Please click the links below to read about each issue you are wondering about, or give us a call to speak with a music therapist who would be happy to discuss any questions you may have.
**Though Autism may be viewed as a disorder, Black Rock Music Therapy Services also celebrates neurodiversity as a meaningful part of identity.
Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/
What is music therapy?
Music therapy is defined by the American Music Therapy Association as the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
In other words, music therapy is a process; the intention is to help optimize a person's emotional, physical, and cognitive health, using a variety of musical methods that are informed by research and clinical practice. The work is done in the relationship with the music therapist, and with the music itself as a medium for meaningful life change.
Musical experiences may include music listening, discussion, composing, songwriting, improvisation, performance, instrumental technique learning, singing, movement to music, and so forth. You do NOT need to be a musician to benefit from music therapy! Everyone has a relationship with music, and that brings strength to the therapeutic process.
Commitment to Accessibility
BRMTS is proud to be partnered with Sierra Regional Center and PALCO to make music therapy services financially accessible to all community members. We also employ a sliding scale to make our services affordable for all.
Services
All music therapy services are trauma-informed.
At this time, all services are held in the home of the person receiving therapy, or via telehealth.
Individual Music Therapy Services
Meet with a music therapist to discuss what you need most in your life at this time. Work one-on-one to share your life story, process emotional needs, and grow at your own pace. Possible topics include addiction recovery, identity development, cognitive skill development, pain management, quality of life improvement, social skill development, and so much more.
Learn to play piano, guitar, ukulele, cello, banjo, or singing. Musical skill development helps with cognitive skills, fine motor skills, and is just plain fun! The music therapist will adapt musical instruction to fit the interests and abilities of all persons. Learn the music you want to learn, at a pace that feels right to you. It's never too late in life to learn an instrument, and you do not need to achieve perfection to enjoy it!
Family Music Therapy Services
Meet with a music therapist to improve family dynamics through musical play experiences. All services are specific to the family and the needs expressed by each member. A strengths-based approach is used to highlight positive relationships, while also working on mutual understanding and cultivating joy.
Meet with a music therapist to improve intimate dynamics through musical experiences. Improve communication, expressing needs, receiving your partner(s)' needs, and design your own musical experiences with a music therapist to implement in your own home.
Adaptive Music Lessons
Couples (or Intimate Group) Music Therapy Services
Meet Emily Stewart
Owner, Black Rock Music Therapy Services
Board-Certified Music Therapist
Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist - Addictions
Hello, and welcome! My name is Em (she/they), and I am a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist offering music therapy services and adaptive music lessons in the Reno area. I have advanced training in trauma-informed care, neurologic music therapy, addiction treatment, mental health support, identity development, and disability studies. I have taught music lessons for over ten years, and offer individual instruction on cello, piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjo for persons of all ages and abilities.
I completed my bachelor's degree at Colorado State University with a cello pedagogy certificate in 2017, and I am currently working towards my Masters in Music Therapy with a Counseling Concentration from Slippery Rock University. I am expected to graduate in July 2024.
I understand the process of engaging in music as a neurological and psychological science, and as a holistic way of being. My therapy philosophy is summed up beautifully by this quote from the late, great Mr. Rogers:
"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has - or ever will have - something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."
I believe that each person has an important story to tell about their lives; how they define themselves, their role in their families and communities, the struggles they have been through, and their hopes for the future. Music is deeply connected to every person's story. That makes it the perfect medium to reach inside ourselves to help heal wounds, create connectivity with or without words, realize our potential, and grow to be fuller versions of ourselves. I view therapy as a collaborative process that honors the expertise of each person on their lived experience.
Em is a white, married, gender fluid, mildly physically disabled, educated, spiritual, middle-class person who was born in the United States to a working-class family consisting of two married parents and a younger brother. These identities make Em who they are, and will be carried into the therapeutic relationship.
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