Music Therapy in Canada’s Smallest Province

Canadian Music Therapy

In this episode, we are speaking with Shona Pottinger about what it’s like to offer music therapy services in the smallest province in Canada, Prince Edward Island. Shona tells us more about internship opportunities with Singing Sands Music Therapy and her journey to becoming a music therapist.

Here is a little more about Shona:

Shona founded Singing Sands Music Therapy in PEI in 2010 and has experience working with clients from ages 24 months to 100 years who have a variety of diagnoses, including Dementia, Alzheimer's, ABI, Stroke, Parkinson's Disease, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism, and Global Developmental Delay. Shona completed her undergraduate degree at Acadia University, after which she undertook a 7-month internship position at Parkstone Enhanced Care in Halifax, Nova Scotia. While contracting her services to long-term care facilities in the Charlottetown area for both group and individual sessions, Shona has continued to develop a successful practice. Continuing education is also an important part of Shona's commitment to providing quality music therapy services. She has completed multiple workshops ranging from Mental Health First Aid to behaviour modification approaches, as well as attended regional, national, and international music therapy conferences.

Learn more about Beyond the Studio’s services for psychotherapy and music therapy along with supervision.

Beyond the Studio and the Canadian Music Therapy Podcast were founded by Adrienne Pringle and Cathy Thompson.

Adrienne is a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Music Therapist with over years of clinical experience working as a music therapist in hospital palliative care, and hospice. She currently works in private practice with Beyond the Studio and CHM Therapy, as an educator and supervisor with Concordia and Wilfrid Laurier Universities. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Music Therapy Fund and is a past President of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists. Adrienne co-founded Beyond the Studio, Sing it Girls! and The Canadian Music Therapy Podcast with Cathy Thompson in 2013. Adrienne's clinical work is focused in mental health, wellness care, bereavement support, hospice palliative care, chronic illness, and using voice, song and music to support emotional and physical health across the lifespan.

She created the Singing Well bereavement support group, her research in collaboration with Concordia university is published in the Summer 2018 issue of Bereavement Care. Her most recent publication, "Reflections on the Canadian Music Therapy Podcast: The First 40," can be found in the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, 2023.

Contact Adrienne for Supervision

Cathy is a leader in business development across Canada. She is passionate about helping people discover their own talents and gifts in the areas of personal and professional development. She partnered with Adrienne to establish Beyond the Studio because of the vision of the organization. To nurture a love of music in all clients and students. Music is such a critical part of our world and Beyond the Studio offers a gateway in which people can experience more of it, through therapy and lessons. She has seen first hand the joy and milestones that can be reached through music therapy.

I'm excited that we are able to help more people through our psychotherapy services launched in the fall of 2023.

Author of:

The Dandelion: Secrets to Growing Your Successful Business from the Ground Up

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Publications:

"Reflections on the Canadian Music Therapy Podcast: The First 40," can be found in the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, 2023.

Thompson, C., Girls Talk : An anti-stigma program for young women to promote understanding of and awareness about depression: Facilitator’s manual, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Canada.