Sacred Harmonies

Sacred Harmonies Therapeutic Harp and Guitar Music

Providence Regional’s Spiritual Care Department is proud to offer Sacred Harmonies, peaceful bedside harp and guitar music, to provide patients time for contemplation and deep rest.

Our Clinical Musicians are trained specifically to work at the bedside with patients of all journeys. Therapeutic music is prescriptive and tailored toward each individual patient to address their current symptoms & medical conditions.

Patient and family benefits

Therapeutic music can help patients sleep, meditate, or simply find a sense of peace. The soothing sound of the harp and guitar transcends language barriers and religious differences and benefits not only the patient, but their families as well. Therapeutic Music can also help: relieve anxiety and stress, foster a sense of safety and well-being, increase endorphin levels, elicit emotional catharsis and emotional healing, reduce blood pressure, stabilize heart rates, decrease muscular tension, improve body movement, coordination, and re-spark memory, reduce depression, bring joy, reduce the need for anesthesia and pain relievers, accelerate surgical recovery and physical healing, and cheer up a patient who simply needs some hope and encouragement.

Patients or family members can request a therapeutic session by calling our Spiritual Care Department at 425-261-4550.

Sacred harmonies musician

April Mitchell is a certified music practitioner, vocalist, and therapeutic harpist with MHTP; approved by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians. She has been playing the harp since 2004 and was certified with MHTP in 2015. April has worked as a professional harpist in California, Australia, and Washington.

Richard Hill is a graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition Program (MHTP). As a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP), Richard plays guitar to create a healing environment for patients, their family members, and the staff providing care to the patients.

Alumni

Jeri Howe, CM-Th, is a certified music-thanatologist trained at The Chalice of Repose Project in Missoula, Montana. She has a BA degree in Humanities from the University of Colorado and has been playing harp since 1984. She brought Sacred Harmonies to Providence Regional Medical Center in 2003.

Claudia Walker, CM-Th, received her certification in music-thanatology through Music-Thanatology Association International in 2008. She has more than 30 years’ experience as a board-certified music therapist, receiving her degree in music therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She lives on Whidbey Island and is active as a therapeutic harpist and in the musical arts community.

Cynthia Dudgeon, CM-Th, received her certification from Music-Thanatology Association International in 2009. She contracts with Providence Hospice of Seattle and Swedish Visiting Nurse Services as a music-thanatologist and is also a certified music practitioner and an occupational therapist with more than 15 years’ experience in home health and hospice care.

Roberta Rudy, CM-Th, is a graduate of Chalice of Repose Project in Missoula, MT from the class of 2002. She has been providing music-thanatology service since 2004. Roberta has been in the Providence Health and Service system since 2007 in Olympia and Centralia hospitals as well as Providence Sound Home Care and Hospice. She was a RN for 30 years prior to becoming a music-thanatologist.

Listen to harp music