to soar
to be
to hug
to laugh
to dance
to smile
to sing
to love
Palliative Care
Palliative care is for those individuals living with serious illness and conditions, providing additional support to the whole person, alongside curative and/or comfort treatments.
I work through a humanistic lens and assist clients using music, sound and other complementary creative arts tools such as movement, to address and alleviate symptoms associated with the adverse condition, which usually include physical and emotional pain, mental distress and existential issues. With our training in supportive counselling techniques, clients always have an opportunity for verbal processing with the music therapist in a session as well.
I have used music therapy in palliative care to support individuals living with many conditions including cancer, ALS, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and COPD.
I am a certified music therapist experienced in this work most recently at Hospice Halifax in Nova Scotia where I provided service on a part-time basis, to well over 300 patients in individual sessions, as well as providing services (individual and group) to families from 2019-2021.
I also have experience at the VG, 7A palliative ward, in Halifax where I completed a four month music therapy practicum and part of my 1000 hour internship, the remainder of this exposure to palliative care was finished in a long term residential setting at Shannex in Truro, Nova Scotia.
Photo credit: Linden Hardie
Hospice Halifax, Spring, 2021
Karlene in blue sweater holding an ocean drum.
Currently, I am offering remote services for individuals going through illness, anticipatory grief and bereavement.
I will facilitate music therapy interventions based on goals established with the client following an assessment.
The therapeutic relationship is bound by the same ethical and professional standards as those of counselling therapists.
Other Care
Contact me to explore the use
of sound and music for a variety of issues including:
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Attention and focus building
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Energy balancing
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Improving self-expression
Video dialogue: Hi! Have you been not quite yourself lately; maybe low energy, not sleeping through the night, foggy? Well, you are not alone. We've all been under a lot of pressure, especially in recent times. This is where I'd like to come in using sound and music. I am a certified music therapist and I would love to show you how sound and music can be very powerful tools in regaining balance, clarity and peace within.
If you're curious to know more, please contact me using either method on my website and let's continue the conversation. Until then, please take good care of yourself.