>>Therapy Harpist Directory - From Sea to Sea to Sea

• Therapy Harpist Navigation

• Canada Harps On - Healing Harps Everywhere!
• Therapy Harpists - What to expect
• Glossary - Credentials explained
• Uncertified Harpists - Accreditation in Canada & USA
• Therapy Harpist Practice - Clinical settings
• Therapy Harp Resources - Useful info
• Submitting to Directory - Simple to do
• Disclaimer - This is a free service
• Therapy Harpist Directory - Choose your province

Canada Harps On - Healing Harps Everywhere!
This is a Canadian Therapy Harpist Directory for our therapeutic harping community to gather and for the greater Canadian medical consumer who wishes to use the services of a harpist in a clinical, therapeutic or healing environment. Various descriptives for the therapeutic harp modality include:

• Therapeutic Harp
• Therapeutic Harpist
• Therapy Harp
• Therapy Harpist
• Vibrational Acoustic Therapy Harpist
• Harp Therapy
• Harp Therapist
• Healing Harp
• Healing Harpist
• Sound Therapy
• Sound Therapist
• Music Therapy Harpist
• Lap Harp Therapy
• Celtic Harp Therapy
• Folk Harp Therapy
• Lever Harp Therapy
• Bedside Harp

This website's premise is simple. If you want to find a therapy harp professional or wish to connect with other healing harpists, use this Directory. The Therapy Harpist Directory is open to submission from any medical, therapeutic, clinical or healing oriented harpist resident in Canada who works in a clinical setting.

This site is sponsored by West Coast Harps and harpist submission is free. Stephen or Alison Vardy will usually only contact submitters once annually to ensure accurate contact info.

Therapy Harpists - What to expect
The practice of the therapeutic harpist is to use the intrinsic healing elements of live music and sound to provide an environment conducive to the client healing process. The practice of a therapeutic musician is not to be confused with the practice of a music therapist.

A therapeutic musician applies knowledge of basic music theory and techniques, improvises and plays music in a fluid, musical fashion. Appropriate repertoire is played while the harpist is sensitive to the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient

The therapeutic musician uses appropriate (legal, ethical, moral) judgment, interpersonal skills and etiquette when interacting with patients, families and hospital staff; while presenting a positive, mature and professional image in manners, communication and dress. Cultural diversity, values and musical preferences are respected. These harping professionals focus on the welfare of the patient above all else in a compassionate and non-judgmental manner. (abridged: source)

Glossary - Listing credentials explained

• CCM (Certified Clinical Musician) www.harpforhealing.com
• CMP (Certified Music Practitioner) www.mhtp.org
• CTHP (Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner) www.harprealm.com
• VAHT (Vibro Acoustic Harp Therapist) www.vibroacousticharp.com
• Uncertified - has no formal therapeutic harpist certification
• CAMT (Can. Assoc. of Music Therapy member) www.musictherapy.ca
• Professional - performs therapeutic harp professionally in clinical setting
• Student - enrolled in a certified therapeutic harp program
• Volunteer - performs in clinical setting +/- CAMT member supervision
• Bedside - Certified bedside (in room) practice of therapeutic harpistry
• Casual - Performs in clinic setting but not at bedside

• CMHSC - Clinical Musician Home Study Course www.harpforhealing.com
• IHTP - International Harp Therapy Program www.harprealm.com
• MHTP - Music for Healing and Transition Program www.mhtp.org

• CCTHP.ca - Can. Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners www.ccthp.ca
• NSBTM - National Standards Board www.tm.com

Uncertified Harpists - Accreditation in Canada & USA
Beware! There are are dragons here... Therapeutic harp practice in Canada is in its infancy and brave pioneering harpists venture into the corridors of established orthodoxy to the consternation of some. There is no formal certification nor courses specific to being a therapeutic harp practitioner available for harpists from within Canada. In the USA, the non-governmental National Standards Board of Therapeutic Musicians (NSBTM) certifies the three credentials listed above (CCM, CMP, CTHP). There is no equivalent in Canada, therefore, aspiring Canadian harpists must enroll in these USA based courses to become "certified". There is no formal recognition of these qualifications in Canada (yet!) but in practice NSBTM certified practitioners are becoming accepted de facto.

The Canadian Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners (CCTHP) group are now establishing an association to further harp therapy accreditation in Canada. Their inaugaral Conference was held in Vancouver in 2011.

Orthodox Canadian instituitions do recognise music therapists (Canadian Assoc. of Music Therapy members ~ CAMT) who work with music in a clinical setting. Some CAMT members may be harpists and use their instrument in their practise with formal NSBTM training. In the USA clinical environment therapeutic harp practitioners perform in a different role to music therapists. You must consider therapeutic harp practice to be more of an "art based on the science of sound" as opposed to "therapy through the use of music and musical elements" as used by music therapists. Different approaches seeking the same outcome.

For the purposes of this Directory "Uncertified" means the harpist has neither NSBTM certified course accredition nor alternately VAHT accredition irrespective of CAMT membership or not.

(Murky, I know, but like I said there are dragons here. I have included "volunteer" harpists in these listings out of recognition of the pioneering presence they are creating in these Canadian institutions, therebye, fostering movement towards more formal accreditation in Canada. Thanks ~ Stephen)

Therapy Harpist Practice - Clinical settings
Therapy harpists perform in a variety of clinical settings. The following is where you might find a therapeutic harpist:

• Hospitals
• Hospices
• Day treatment programs
• Long term care centres
• Private Practice
• Community programs

Therapy Harp Resources - Useful info

• CCTHP ~ Canadian Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioners Group
• Therapy Harp Journal ~ THE goto place in the therapeutic harp world
• WindandRoses.com ~ nice overview of therapeutic harp courses
• HeritageHarpCenter.com ~ palliative therapy versus harp therapy
• FromMyHarp.com ~ professional journal articles
• HealingMusician.com ~ continuing education for therapeutic harpists
• Bedside Harp ~ therapeutic for dying
  

2012 Harp Therapy MidWest Conference

Submitting to the Therapy Harpist Directory
Please use this Submission Form only. Any certified therapeutic harpist may submit. Students currently enrolled in therapeutic harp program may also submit. Uncertified harpists in practise must present a case that they perform in a therapeutic environment with some supervision. All submissions are moderated and edited by Alison and Stephen Vardy who manually update the directory frequently. This Directory is sponsored by West Coast Harps for Canadians, be they harpists, patients or clinical institutions.

Disclaimer
This Directory is posted for informational purposes only. TherapyHarpist.ca is provided as a free service with reasonable care. Neither Alison Vardy nor Stephen Vardy nor West Coast Harps are responsible for the veracity of any harpist contact information, qualification, accreditation or ability claimed in this directory. Caveat utilitor – let the user beware.

Therapy Harpist Directory
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