Projects & Collaborations

Program Development and Clinical services

Developed flagship Music Therapy programs at Swedish Cancer Institute and Swedish MS Center.

Note: The MT program at Swedish Cancer Institute is now operationalized as functions as part of the Supportive Services team. The MT program at Swedish MS Center continues to operate through PNW Music Therapy with weekly support groups and individual sessions.

music therapy for multiple Sclerosis

Skeery Jones and Betsy Hartman discuss how music therapy may be able to benefit those impacted by Multiple Sclerosis.

Restoring function and quality of life for those with Multiple Sclerosis

“Music is a bridge between the mind and body, and has unique abilities to bring holistic healing to the body, mind, and soul of those living with MS. Betsy Hartman, MT-BC, outlines how and why music therapy is successfully utilized as part of an interdisciplinary approach to address therapeutic goals, improve quality of life, and train the mind to help heal itself. Discover resources and support for this non-pharmacological healing therapy that can be accessed by those with MS AND their loved ones.”

The Power of Music as
Therapy in mS

Betsy Hartman with the help of Novartis demonstrates her work at Swedish MS Center in the short film, “The power of music as therapy in MS”.

“How can we better manage Multiple Sclerosis? People with MS and healthcare professionals face this challenge daily. This short film, shot on location at the MS Centre, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Seattle, US, shares an insight on the clinical value of non-pharmacological interventions, such as music therapy”.

MS in Harmony: A Music Therapy Resource

Betsy Hartman partnered with Bristol Meyers Squibb and the American Music Therapy Association to help create MS in Harmony, a “friendly, supportive, informative space where you can discover the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the body and mind—and the potential effect of music therapy as it relates to the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of MS”.

benefits of art & music therapy for ms

“Imagine being able to see improvement in cognition, motor function, and self-esteem, while enhancing neurological functions like walking and speech without taking another pill or even breaking a sweat”. Listen in at minute 16 to hear how Dr. Meera Rastogi, Veronica DeNoma, and Betsy Hartman have to say about the benefits of Art and Music Therapy for people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

“Art is our chance to express our creativity, to flex our imagination, and, in the words of Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, and poet, “to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

But beyond all of that, “art” in its many forms can also improve mental, and in some cases, physical health, as well.”