Certified Music Therapist Sarah Bourque is helping youth navigate challenging experiences through the power of music. Working one day a week at Children’s & Adolescent Intensive Services (CIS/AIS) and two afternoons at the Garron Centre, she facilitates both group and individual sessions tailored to each young person’s needs.
Music therapy in these settings can take many forms—learning a new instrument to build positive coping skills, writing original songs to support emotional expression, or creating intentional playlists to explore how music can influence mood. Through these approaches, Sarah brings a sense of familiarity and comfort to environments that can often feel overwhelming.
“It isn’t often that I meet a youth who doesn’t engage in music in some way, and participating in Music Therapy can provide them with the opportunity to process everything being thrown their way through a familiar medium.”
With a focus on real-world impact, Sarah designs each session with the goal of helping youth carry these skills into their everyday lives. “The overarching goal is always to set the youth up for success in their every day lives,” she explains.
Her work is as dynamic as the youth she supports. “I love how every day is different, and that I can always count on the youth to challenge me to think outside the box.”
By integrating creativity, connection, and clinical care, music therapy offers both youth and their families a powerful tool for healing, growth, and resilience.
March is Music Therapy Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the remarkable benefits of music therapy and the certified music therapists who use it to help people of all ages and abilities.