As a music therapist, counselor, and mother I am overjoyed to be a part of the South Shore Perinatal Wellness Center and introduce Sing Explore Create, LLC’s newest division of services, Perinatal Music Therapy Services, to the South Shore and beyond. My specialized training in perinatal music therapy and in NICU/pediatric music therapy services, as well as my background in mental health counseling and doula training has given me a unique skill set. You and your spouse/partner can be assured that you will be supported through your perinatal journey by an empathic and knowledgeable music therapist. As a music therapist and music educator I have worked with people across the lifespan and with many different diagnoses. However, my passion as a clinician is in assisting women and their families from pregnancy through postpartum, as well as supporting early childhood development with the use of music and music interventions from infants to preschoolers. My dedication to supporting families from pre-pregnancy through the early childhood years stems from my time spent in early intervention and my own pregnancies and experiences as a mother. Much of my time providing early intervention services was spent helping parents cope with a child’s diagnosis and giving them the tools to play and interact with their child through the use of music. Children are naturally drawn to music and embedding it into their play and other daily activities creates a less-stressful environment for them to learn and encourages growth across all areas of development. While singing and creating music comes naturally to children, I understand that often in our culture, creating music can be nerve-wracking for adults at times. Whether teaching you how to use music effectively in childbirth or working with you in one of our pre/postnatal support groups, I will be sure to help you use music in a way that is comfortable and effective for you. That may be through singing, songwriting, and active music making or more passive experiences like listening and guided relaxation or lyric analysis. Finally, and maybe most importantly, my personal experiences as a mother inform the work that I do and continue to drive my passion for making these and other perinatal services available to women in the south shore and beyond. I have personally experienced many challenges, but also have been fortunate to celebrate many milestones as my husband and I have grown our family. My promise to the women and families I work with is to meet you where you are at and to give you concrete, yet holistic and effective tools to face the challenges that may arise throughout your perinatal journey, so you can celebrate and enjoy the special moments along the way as you grow your family.
Nicole Craven, MA MT-BC, NICU MT Director, Sing Explore Create, LLC (781)803-2117 ext. 4 28 Webster St. Box 11, Rockland, MA 02370