ABOUT

Our Team

Our Mission

The mission of Music Therapy Services, LLC – Cincinnati is to provide exceptional music therapy services to assist clients in accessing their potential through music.

Music Therapy Services, LLC uses person-centered, collaborative, and strength-based approaches to address the needs of the whole individual, and strives to promote the field of music therapy through advocacy, research, and education.

Our Philosophy

Music Therapy Services, LLC – Cincinnati upholds the inherent dignity and worth of every person.

Our music therapists focus on the strengths of the individual and take a collaborative approach in our treatment to help clients access their potential within a musical relationship. Music therapy involves collaborative music experiences to facilitate changes which are non-musical or musical in nature.

Music therapy sessions are based on individual assessment, treatment planning, and ongoing evaluation. The music therapist functions as part of the interdisciplinary team to support and foster a continuum of care. You can learn more about music therapy here.

Meet the Team at Music Therapy Services, LLC - Cincinnati
Meet the Team at Music Therapy Services, LLC - Cincinnati

Meet our

BOARD-CERTIFIED MUSIC THERAPISTS

Megan Shelley, MT-BC, Owner of Music Therapy Services Cincinnati

Megan Shelley

she/her

DIRECTOR & MUSIC THERAPIST

I believe in the inherent power of music to support, connect, and foster transformative growth in an individual. While disconnection, isolation, and trauma leave us feeling drained or diminished in our ability to care and support ourselves, music therapy can provide a dynamic opportunity to cultivate creativity and connect with ourselves and others on a deeper level. My approach to music therapy is from a person-centered, trauma-informed orientation and includes aspects of psychodynamic and transpersonal perspectives; meaning I take a collaborative approach to treatment, support the individual, and provide space for expressive and receptive symbolic uses of music that may create connections to experiences greater than ourselves.

I first arrived at my training in music therapy after playing the piano for a group of residents in a skilled nursing facility. I noticed a complete change in the energy and engagement of the residents and had to learn more. I went on to receive a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from the University of Dayton and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Because of my interest in the symbolic use of music and music psychotherapy approaches, I am currently continuing advanced training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Analytical Music Therapy (AMT). I have supervised music therapy students and interns as a practicum site and university-affiliated internship, and have served as an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton teaching functional piano skills for music therapy students.

I have several years of experience in addiction recovery, adolescent and adult mental health, and hospice and end of life care. In addition to seeing clients in our clinic, I have had the privilege of providing services for organizations which include Ridge Ohio, REM Seeds of Change, HOPE for Children and Families, Queen City Hospice, St. Elizabeth Hospice, The Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Lighthouse Youth Services, and Clermont County Public Library. I am an active member of the American Music Therapy Association, the Association of Ohio Music Therapists, and have served as Secretary for the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association. In my free time I enjoy singing and playing keys in a classic rock cover band, biking, hiking, snorkeling, spending time in nature, and taking some quiet time to meditate and practice reiki. I would love to foster a creative space for you on your journey to deepen your relationship with yourself and those around you in body, mind, and spirit.

Publications

  • Shelley, M., Kowski, J., Goldberg, F. S. (2021). Three roads diverged: Transformative self-experience in AMT and GIM. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 30(3), 289-308. doi: 10.1080/08098131.2021.1903976.
  • Brewer, M. (2017). Development of professional identity in music therapy: Interviews with influential voices. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Saint Mary of the Woods College, Saint Mary of the Woods, IN.
  • McHugh, L., Gardstrom, S., Hiller, J., Brewer, M., Diestelkamp, W. (2012). The effect of pre-meal, recreative music therapy on the nutritional intake of residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: A pilot study. Music Therapy Perspectives, 30, 32-42.

Presentations

  • Everybody Hurts: Using Music Therapy for De-escalating Patients in In-Patient Mental Health. Co-presenter at National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association, Minneapolis, MN. November 2019.
  • Music Therapy in Private Practice. University of Dayton Music Therapy Professional Development Seminar, Dayton, OH. November 2017.
  • Music Therapy Services for Your Community. Clermont County Public Library 2017 Staff Development Day, Batavia, OH. October 2017.
  • Music Therapy in Adolescent Mental Health. HOPE for Children and Families and Family Access to Integrated Recovery: A Program of Central Clinic, Cincinnati, OH. September 2017.
  • Perinatal Music Therapy. St. Elizabeth Hospital Maternal Health Management Team, Edgewood, KY. August 2017.
  • Music Therapy in Private Practice. University of Dayton Music Therapy Professional Development Seminar, Dayton, OH. October 2014.
  • Music Therapy and Parkinson’s Disease. Co-presenter, Tri-State Chapter Parkinson’s Wellness Meeting, Edgewood, KY. September 2013.
  • The Effect of Pre-Meal, Vocal Recreative Music Therapy on the Nutritional Intake of Residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A pilot study. Co-presenter at Annual Conference of the Association of Ohio Music Therapists, Akron, OH. October 2011.
  • Clinically Relevant Research: Music Therapy and Nutritional Intake of Individuals with Dementia. Co-presenter at World Congress of Music Therapy, Seoul, Korea, July 2011.
Tenley Rissover, MT-BC, Music Therapy at Music Therapy Services Cincinnati

Tenley Rissover

she/her

STAFF MUSIC THERAPIST

I grew up around music. My earliest memories are of watching my siblings play violin and dancing to Atomic Dog by George Clinton. I used to pretend to play the violin in my crib, which then evolved into playing a violin made of a little tissue box and ruler with a wooden spoon for a bow. On my third birthday I was given my first real violin, and I have never looked back. I took private lessons and played in orchestras at North Avondale Montessori, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, Walnut Hills High School, and Eastern Michigan University. I started volunteering to play at hospitals from a young age, and developed a love for bringing joy to others through music. Once I discovered music therapy, my path was clear.

I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Eastern Michigan University and became a board-certified music therapist in 2022. While in school, I worked as the Music Specialist at Stepping Stones summer camp. Before becoming board-certified, I completed a six-month internship here at Music Therapy Services. Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to provide music therapy for a wide variety of groups and individuals including adolescents, adult oncology, adults with substance use disorders, and those with developmental disabilities. I have a deep love for all styles of music with a particular interest in hip hop and jazz. I have a passion for working with adolescents, but have also enjoyed working with children of all ages and abilities as well as adults. When practicing, I take an eclectic and integral approach to music therapy- I believe that the best way for me to serve the clients I am working with is to use the approach best fit for the individual. Therefore, I believe that sessions can incorporate varied approaches to help shape the session and meet the specific needs of each person.

I still regularly play violin as well as guitar, piano, bass, drums, and make electronic music. I also enjoy visual arts and spend much of my free time drawing, sewing, and making jewelry, as well as visiting with my friends, family, and cats. I would love to provide a safe space for you to discover how music can meet your individual needs and promote mental and physical well-being.

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