Our Approach

Our Philosophy

At Music Therapy Services of Simcoe County, we strive to honour our clients as individuals.

Likewise, we know how important it is to acknowledge our client’s lived experiences. Most importantly, we know that treating a client’s emotional well-being is just as important as treating physical, cognitive, or communicative challenges.

Music therapy can improve a client’s confidence, self-esteem, and motivation. As a result, this creates an environment where the client can effectively work on goals related to other areas of their life. Therefore, we often work together with speech-language pathologists, physiotherapists, teachers, social workers, nurses and doctors.

What does a session look like?

Music therapy sessions can look very different depending on the age, abilities, and goals of a client. It is important to note that clients do not require any musical experience to be able to participate and benefit from music therapy. Sessions can include:

Singing
Playing Instruments
Improvising
Composing/Songwriting
Active Listening

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
~ Aldous Huxley

OUR VISION

For everyone to realize their fullest potential

OUR MISSION

To support the mental health, developmental, rehabilitative and recreational goals of our clients through the use of quality music therapy and psychotherapy services.

OUR VALUES

Empathy – We recognize and value the life experiences and feelings of our clients. We do our best to acknowledge, honour and validate their feelings and perspectives.
Connection – We strive to create an environment where all clients can experience human connection through quality musical interactions. Through the therapeutic relationship, we are mindful of flexibility and compassion and nurture creativity.
Empowerment – We value the importance of building a clients’ sense of self, confidence, and esteem by fostering acceptance, autonomy, and trust.
Ethical Practice – We are driven to provide safe, informed, educated, and thoughtful service to our clients so they may have opportunities for positive change and growth.
Teamwork – We recognize the importance of teamwork with a client, their advocates, allied healthcare partners, and within our team.

MTSSC Land Acknowledgement

The lands that Music Therapy Services of Simcoe County work on are the traditional territory of the Anishinabek People, comprised of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi Nations known collectively as the Three Fires Confederacy. Historically this region was also previously occupied by the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee Nations.

The MTSSC team acknowledges and appreciates the Indigenous communities that continue to reside here, including: the Barrie South-Simcoe Métis Councils, the Georgian Bay (Mnidoo Gamii) Anishinaabek, the Moose Deer Point First Nation, the Wahta Mohawks, Moon River, and the Chippewa Tri-Council First Nations (including the Beausoleil First Nation, Chippewas of Rama, and Chippewas of Georgina Island).

As a team, we commit to continuously learning how to serve our local communities better, how to respect and honour the land we work and live on, and how to be true allies to the Indigenous communities in our region.

If you would like to learn more, we welcome you to use the resources below to further your education and growth.

Resources

Where words fail, music speaks.

~ Hans Christian Andersen

Our Story

I would say our story began in 1995. A guest speaker first introduced me to Music Therapy in my grade 11 music class. From that moment on I knew that music therapy was what I wanted to do with my life.

Meet Our Team

Meet the team at Music Therapy Services of Simcoe County. Our music therapists are all experienced musicians, clinicians, and are registered with all relevant colleges and associations.

Our Services

We offer individual and group music therapy sessions online, at our clinic in Barrie, or at a client’s home or residence. Many of our services are now covered by benefits or government programs.