Southern Crescent Music Therapy

04/29/2025

What a great event! We were so glad we could help sponsor such a wonderful cause and we had a blast participating in the tournament. A terrific way to spend a Saturday!

04/18/2025

We were honored to be asked to participate in the Ansley Park Health & Rehabilitation Easter service yesterday! We always appreciate the chance to help bring people together through music.

01/06/2025

Finally got to have our holiday celebration for Southern Crescent Music Therapy! It was great getting to see everyone face to face, catch up, and set some goals for the new year. What are some goals YOU are striving towards in 2025?

05/22/2024

What is Music Therapy?

At Southern Crescent Music Therapy, we realize that not everyone has heard about music therapy before or understands its purpose. Put simply, music therapy uses music to achieve therapeutic goals. This can take on a variety of forms depending on the client and their specific needs, but some common examples include:

● Music listening or guided meditation for anxiety and pain management
● Song writing to help express difficult or painful thoughts and emotions
● Musical exercises for depression
● Using music geared to the client for memory care or to assist in physical therapy exercises
● Drum circles for emotional outlets and for teaching how to follow instructions and work in a group setting

These are just a few of the ways that music therapy can be used but is by no means an exhaustive list. Also of note, in the state of Georgia and many others, all music therapists must be certified and licensed in order to practice their profession. All of our therapists meet the requirements set by our state. If you are curious if music therapy may be able to help you, please reach out to us so we can set up a consultation to see where we might best be of assistance!

04/30/2024

We had a great time facilitating a drum circle at the Community Wellness event this past weekend!

04/25/2024

Welcome to Therapist Thursday!
Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing the therapists who are a part of our team. Check back each Thursday for another therapist!

This week: Therapist and Owner Mark Toole, Jr. LPMT, MT-BC, MMT
Mark fell in love with music at a young age, pursuing it mostly through guitar, classical bass, and voice from middle school through college. He graduated with a major in Vocal Performance from Atlanta Christian College (now Point University) and began working as a music minister and teacher.

Once he heard of music therapy he felt drawn to this career, having already seen how music effects and helps people. Mark graduated with a Masters in Music Therapy from Georgia College and State University, where he focused on music therapy and at-risk youth.

Mark has been working individually as a music therapist for over 10 years and is excited that he has been able to expand the reach of music therapy across the southern crescent with the help of AK Alford and Claire Heil.

04/18/2024

Welcome to Therapist Thursday!
Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing the therapists who are a part of our team. Check back each Thursday for another therapist!

This week: AK Alford, MT-BC
AK was first introduced to music therapy at the age of 13 through her mother’s work and immediately knew this was the path she wanted to follow in life. Pursuing that goal, she studied and graduated with a degree in Music Therapy from Georgia College & State University. During her time there, she focused on the correlation of emotional development and memory, and pulling from mindfulness practices to create the best environment for learning.

The population AK specializes in is adolescents and adults with ID/D. While working as a music therapist she is also developing a database for music therapy repertoire and activities that she hopes will prove useful for many music therapists moving forward.

04/11/2024

Welcome to Therapist Thursday!

Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing the therapists who are a part of our team. Check back each Thursday for another therapist!

This week: Claire Heil, LPMT, MT-BC, NMT

Growing up, Claire was always singing and dancing around the house. On a full scholarship at Georgia Southern University, she studied music performance on clarinet, hoping to one day play in a symphony. After college, she became interested in the music business, working for a non-profit foundation providing instruments to schools in need. After getting married and starting a family, she began taking on private lesson students, directing a children’s choir at her local church, and teaching elementary music part-time. Through her relationships with these families, her interest in music therapy grew. She could see potential in students who couldn’t see it for themselves and was inspired to find new ways to meet them at their levels of understanding.

Claire completed her therapy degree online at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana and fulfilled her internship at Clayton County Public Schools serving students with disabilities. Additionally, she completed a course in Neurologic Music Therapy, which uses evidence-based techniques incorporating music and neuroscience. From children to the elderly, she works diligently to meet the needs of her clients. She has lived in Peachtree City for 18 years and has two rescues, Roxy and Max.

03/22/2024

We had a great time facilitating a drum circle for Monks Meadery Atlanta GA! They were excellent hosts and we look forward to working with them more in the future!

01/11/2024

to when we were featured in our local paper for the work we were doing at the hospital in Newnan. We loved working with the patients there!

The Thomas F. Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center at Piedmont Newnan Hospital is adding music therapy and guided imagery classes, led by certified music therapist Mark Toole Jr., to its

01/09/2024

Happy New Year!
We hope 2024 finds you all healthy and happy. We look forward to seeing how music therapy can help you achieve your goals this year!