“I had a client in the practice that they, well, what they said is, ‘I am disabled because of mental health and PTSD symptoms, and music therapy’s helping me work through many issues very directly in a way that years of talk therapy hasn’t been able to touch.’ For this individual, they had been through years of talk therapy, and for some people, that is very valuable and very helpful, myself included. But like myself, I had to start with music therapy first because it just accesses the brain in a different way. It accesses the body in a different way than just talking.” – Noel Anderson

This week’s guest is the founder of Anderson Music Therapy Services and has been a board-certified music therapist for over fifteen years. Her journey started with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Immaculata University, followed by a clinical internship at the Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy in Philadelphia. Driven by a desire for growth, she pursued specialized training, earning certification in Neurologic Music Therapy at Colorado State University, certification as a Trauma Professional, and a Master of Music Therapy degree from Temple University. Before founding her practice in Roanoke, Virginia, she developed a school-based music therapy program for individuals of all ages and abilities. Her love of music began early – she’s been performing since the age of ten through voice, guitar, piano, and flute – and her impact extends globally, benefiting communities in Africa and India.

Her name is Noel Anderson and I’ve been looking forward to chatting with her about all the ways we can harness the power of sound to motivate us, to help us heal and to improve our lives. Keep listening because I know you’re going to get some invaluable golden nuggets from this discussion!

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(0:00:00) - The Power of Music Therapy

We start things off with Noel’s early memories of sound, from the tiger song she wrote before she’d even learned to spell to her discovery in college of how music therapy could help others. “I didn’t always have a very easy time identifying my emotions or being able to express my emotions,” she recalls. “I was very shy. So music just was how I would express myself.” She tells us more about the board certification process that becoming a licensed music therapist involves, and about her work helping children in Africa and India. “I spoke of how music works with developmental disabilities and neurologically,” she explains, “and then we were able to work, you know, hands-on with the kids and co-treat with the therapists there and the doctors, and it was a really great experience.”

(0:07:27) - Global Impact of Music Therapy

Our conversation turns to the neurological impact of music, and its ability to influence and even redirect our body states. “It’s one of the few things in the world that activates so many [neurons],” Noel explains. “It exercises the whole brain, and that’s why it can get our attention very easily rather than just speaking alone.” She talks more about how sound can help regulate the nervous system and shares some of her success stories with patients. “We’ve gotten some really,” she says, “it’s not surprising because, you know, we know music therapy works, but some really touching feedback.”

(0:13:51) - Healing Through Music Therapy

As the first half of our discussion comes to a close, Noel tells us about the difference between talk and music therapy, and how it can help create a safe space for confronting trauma and emotional triggers. “Our brains know what to expect,” she tells us, “and that’s comforting. And so because of that, you can work through these challenges like PTSD and anxiety, depression.” We talk about her work with nonverbal patients and music’s power to forge a healing connection. “It was a musical conversation where they could feel like they belonged,” she says, “they could feel heard and listened to, maybe for the first time to truly be in a place where you know they could express themselves.”

Episode Summary

• Noelle’s journey into music therapy and her experiences in Africa and India.
• Music therapy’s impact on neurological functions and emotional regulation.
• How music therapy offers a structured approach for treating anxiety and PTSD.

Tune in for part two of my conversation with Noel as we discuss music’s effect on dopamine, serotonin, and our stress levels, Noel’s work with treating Alzheimer’s, depression, and even using sound to strengthen parent-child bonds, and her advice for finding the right music therapist.

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