WELCOME TO OUR COMMUNITY! (By: Marissa Scott)
HELLO.
I am so excited to share our knowledge and expertise with you... bringing the therapeutic aspects of play, art, music, imagination and most importantly creativity into your life.
Before we get started, there are TWO IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW...
#1 ADULTS CAN PLAY TOO
If you're thinking that this blog is for parents of young children only, then I apologize but, YOU ARE SO WRONG! At The Sonatina Center, we work with many, many children, but we also work with many adults and we want this to be a place where everyone can come and everyone can derive meaning and resource out of what we have to say. What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to be a parent to find value in our work and what we share here. The coolest thing about expressive art therapy is that techniques can be easily adapted to any age, any ability and every individual.
#2. YOU WILL TEACH US TOO!
We might be the experts in expressive therapy, but you are unique and your family is unique. How you experience the creative strategies and information we provide you may be different than how someone else does. Please comment with yourexpertise, interests and feedback because it is valuable to us and will be valuable to the community as well!
So...
Who are we and what are we all doing here? Great question, I'm glad you asked! Below is a picture of our team from earlier this Spring.
From left to right: Jordan Elias, MT-BC, Marissa Scott, MA, MT-BC, CLD, Rebecca Gildea, MT-BC and Serena Duckrow, PhD, ATR-BC, NDD
MARISSA SCOTT
MUSIC THERAPIST & BIRTH DOULA
You can read our team bios here!
Miss Marissa - My journey with The Sonatina Center began late in 2010 when I first opened our doors as "Sonatina Music Therapy." During that time, I saw clients in their homes, schools, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. It has always been my goal to own a center where many expressive arts therapies are housed under one roof and in 2015, my dream started to become a reality when we moved into our current home at 750 Central Avenue in Dover, NH. Our center has both small private rooms for individual therapy sessions, and a fantastic room to accommodate groups and classes. We have a waiting room, restroom, and our building is accessible with plenty of parking. As we continue to grow, I hope to add more services such as play therapy and dance/movement therapy.
I am a board certified music therapist and also a certified birth doula. I have been working with children and families since 2005, and I am passionate about pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum years as well as the positive effects music can have on development in the first five years of life and beyond. I am trained in the Sound Birthing Music method for pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
We are here to be a resource in your community. This blog will have evidence-based information about the work that we do, applicable to the people we work with and the organizations we work for. Parents will find strategies for using music and art therapy techniques at home to ease transitions, enhance relationships, and develop skills in may areas. Teachers and other therapy professionals will find new ways to incorporate music, art, creativity, imagination and play into their own work. Hospital administrators, case managers, special education directors, doctors, nurses, and personal care assistants will learn about the benefits of music therapy and art therapy across a variety of populations and settings, including the most up-to-date research and evidence-based practice trends. We will include printable resources and content to enrich your life with therapeutic creativity. If there is a specific topic you would like us to cover, we invite you to reach out to us by email or by commenting below! Stay tuned for our next post where Miss Brandy will be sharing creative strategies for sand tray play at home!
Thanks for following! We look forward to your feedback!
Warmly,
Marissa Scott & The Sonatina Center Team!