Join me as we step into the world of music therapy with Alexis Baker. As a music enthusiast, discussing the nuances of how music activates the brain, revives memories, and fosters emotional connections is incredibly enriching. Alexis highlights how therapeutic music benefits not just those in care but also the caregivers themselves, offering both solace and emotional release. Whether through personalized playlists to uplift spirits or integrating music into daily routines to ease challenging behaviors, music proves to be a powerful tool in transforming caregiving experiences. It's fascinating to see how melodies and rhythms can bridge communication gaps, especially in challenging journeys like dementia, where conventional language often falls short.

About Our Guest:

Alexis Baker is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), certified dementia practitioner (CDP), and founder of Bridgetown Music Therapy. Her mission as a music therapist is to spark joy, create connections, and improve quality of life through meaningful music engagement. Alexis is passionate about using music to make a difference for older adults living with dementia.

After many years spent serving clients in person as a traveling music therapist, Alexis pivoted her business online in 2020. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, she and her husband, a professional videographer, decided to collaborate by putting their skills together. They initially launched Bridgetown's Virtual Music Engagement Program with only four videos. Now, the program features an extensive Video Library containing hundreds of on-demand therapeutic music sessions. Their dementia-friendly program focuses on meaningful engagement through music-based activities such as singing, rhythm and movement, gentle stretching, deep breathing exercises, and relaxation. Alexis includes an incredible range of genres, styles, and fun themes—there is something for everyone. This program has been described as a game-changer for people with dementia and their care staff such as Activity Directors and family caregivers.

https://www.bridgetownmt.com/

About Me:

I have cared for many family members across the life span, experiencing the joys and challenges of child-rearing, the poignance of caring for parents, friends, and elder partners. I realized that I could not handle the stress of family caregiving 24/7/365. It was time for a new approach to caring. My health and happiness were slipping away. This is how Think to Thrive for Caregivers evolved. Let your mind meet your heart so you don’t lose track of your life.

Connect with Me:

https://www.deborahgreenhut.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgreenhut01/

Find my books here

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Diving into the stages of caregiving, I realize it’s a journey full of unexpected twists and deep emotions, not just a checklist to be managed. Whether it’s starting the conversation early with loved ones about potential needs or shouldering the full weight of care responsibilities, each stage demands a different part of you. The emotional load can be overwhelming, especially when it shifts from professional detachment to intimate, familial involvement. It’s a human response to feel worn by the efforts to balance personal grief with the demands of caregiving. Embracing these stages isn’t about getting stuck in the roles we play but learning to navigate them with grace, preparing for the grief that may come, and ensuring we don’t lose ourselves to the emotional undertow. This journey reshaped not only how I view caregiving but also how I see resilience and the power of planning ahead.

About Me:

I have cared for many family members across the life span, experiencing the joys and challenges of child-rearing, the poignance of caring for parents, friends, and elder partners. I realized that I could not handle the stress of family caregiving 24/7/365. It was time for a new approach to caring. My health and happiness were slipping away. This is how Think to Thrive for Caregivers evolved. Let your mind meet your heart so you don’t lose track of your life.

Connect with Me:

https://www.deborahgreenhut.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgreenhut01/

Find my books here

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Diving into the world of caregiving with Yarona Boster, I unpack how mastering verbal and nonverbal communication transforms our interactions and impacts those we care for. Yarona highlights the often overlooked aspect of emotional contagion, where our moods and attitudes can subconsciously affect others, especially in sensitive caregiving settings. This understanding is crucial; it reminds us that our presence and how we express ourselves can either bridge or build walls between us and our loved ones. For any caregiver, recognizing the power of nonverbal cues and the emotional undercurrents they carry can profoundly change the caregiving experience, making it more genuine and supportive for everyone involved.

About Our Guest:

Yarona Boster is a Communications Master, Advanced Certified Life Coach, Certified Speaker Coach, International Speaker, TEDx Speaker, and 2x bestselling international author.

Using her 17+ years of experience in human development, early childhood, psychology, and coaching, Yarona guides people in harnessing the art of communication by learning the behavioral skills needed to modify their verbal and non-verbal language.

From CEOs to parents, from intimate relationships to world stages, when we learn these skills, we become our own best asset in our personal and professional lives.

Connect with Yarona:

yaronaboster@gmail.com (Speaker Coaching/Communications Mastery)

yarona@footprintscoaching.org (Parent and Loss Coaching)

https://yaronaboster.com

https://footprintscoaching.org

About Me:

I have cared for many family members across the life span, experiencing the joys and challenges of child-rearing, the poignance of caring for parents, friends, and elder partners. I realized that I could not handle the stress of family caregiving 24/7/365. It was time for a new approach to caring. My health and happiness were slipping away. This is how Think to Thrive for Caregivers evolved. Let your mind meet your heart so you don’t lose track of your life.

Connect with Me:

https://www.deborahgreenhut.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgreenhut01/

Find my books here

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.