Elisha Rivera, BS, MT-BC
(She/Her)
Board Certified Music Therapist
Ages I Work With: Children, Teens, & Adults
I’m Passionate About Working With:
Individuals with varying needs and abilities
Individuals experiencing mental health struggles
Groups for individuals with different abilities
Recovery groups
Everyone can benefit from the opportunity to be seen and heard in a unique way.
Therapy does not exist to “fix” anyone. Therapy exists to support and empower individuals to recognize their strengths, build skills that are applicable to everyday life, cope with challenges of all kinds, and use what they learn in therapy to grow.
Advocacy and activism for the communities we support is an important aspect of being a therapeutic professional.
You do not have to be “good” at music to benefit from music therapy! And really, we should get rid of that label altogether!
I Believe…
In My Sessions
I Like To…
Provide space for the individual to direct the session where they need it to.
Find what interventions work best for the individual and find ways to be creative within those interventions.
Use interventions such as lyric analysis and songwriting to explore difficult feelings, emotions, coping skills, and a variety of experiences.
Support the individual to do what they want to do, even when they feel it might be a challenge; with the right support, there is almost always a way to play an instrument or write a song!
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I am Elisha Rivera (pronounced Ee-lee-shah), a Puerto Rican, straight, cisgender woman, and I use she/her pronouns.
I am a recent graduate of Cleveland State University, where I graduated with a bachelor of science in music therapy.
I have experience working with a variety of individuals in my practicum and internship settings, including school settings, individuals with different abilities, and individuals with trauma and those in recovery.
I am especially passionate about working with individuals experiencing mental health struggles. Though this is my first job as a music therapist, I bring a range of professional and personal experiences and perspectives.
I am currently also pursuing a master of music in music therapy from Duquesne University and am constantly striving to learn and grow as a music therapist.
When not working, I can often be found singing and writing my own music, hiking, hanging out with my rescue dog, Brendy, reading, attending live music events, and finding and trying new coffee shops. Originally from the North Shore of Massachusetts, I am a proud New Englander and Boston sports fan!
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BS: Bachelor of Science
MT-BC: Board Certified Music Therapist -
I operate from a humanistic, strengths-based perspective and strive to make the individuals I work with feel seen, heard, and valued for who they are and what they are feeling.
I believe that music has the ability to help us learn, heal, and grow. I personally have used music as a support throughout many of my biggest challenges and struggles and
I have received music therapy services in the past. My goal is to empower the individuals I work with to see music as a helpful tool in their everyday life, whatever that may look like for them.
I believe that therapy should be accessible to all and I have a passion for working with communities that have been historically underserved and under-resourced.
My sessions are a space where mistakes are celebrated and emotions are validated!