GROOVE THERAPY™

A definitive guide to flourishing through the practice of melorhythm

If you’ve caught yourself toe-tapping to a groove without being consciously aware of it, you know how powerful groove-based music can be. This book melds real world practice with current research evidence about how groove-based drumming is used to naturally protect and restore mental wellness.

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About the Book

One in four of us will experience a mental health crisis, yet up to 80% of us don’t get treatment. Stigma is a huge barrier to giving and receiving mental healthcare.

Current research confirms the goodness of drumming together for mood, anti-inflammatory effects, brain growth and adaptation (neuroplasticity), emotional regulation, and prosocial behavior. Yet healthcare practice typically lags 17 years behind healthcare research.

I don’t want another generation to pass before the measurable benefits of drumming are as ubiquitous to mental healthcare as diet, sleep, and exercise. GROOVE THERAPY™ uses groove-based drumming to improve the ways we think, feel, and act without the stigma that is often associated with mental health treatment, and every body can move or be moved to rhythm.

Individuals & Families

Find common ground as you give and receive from one another. Drumming together brings harmony to family dynamics.

Clinicians

Drumming provides measurable mood benefits, supporting patients and fostering therapeutic communication.

Corporate Wellness

Want a completely novel team-building activity to boost staff morale? Our wellness series is the ultimate corporate event.

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Meet Laurel

I guess you can say I wrote GROOVE THERAPY™ instead of having a midlife crisis. In my first career, I was a vocalist and ethnomusicologist, teaching college-level music appreciation and diversity courses. My ethnomusicological research examined the philosophical roots of groove-based musics and why groove has endured global transmission and transformation for millenia.

My second-half-of-life career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and holistic wellness professional applies this expertise in support of the physical, mental, and relational health of others.

I don’t wake up every day wondering if my life counts. I know that I’m making an impact in the lives of my clients.

I’ve been studying and practicing the benefits of drumming for more than fifteen years. My work has been awarded a GRAMMY® Foundation grant for historical musicology and an Albert Schweitzer Foundation fellowship for healthcare innovation.

Musicians hold on to the notion that music can heal the world. Thanks to neuroscience, we know much more about how that works!

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Sound Familiar?

I’ve tried to do everything right, and I still feel terrible.
A natural approach to healing and remission is more important to me than a temporary fix.
Other people tell me I march to the beat of a different drummer.

I know I would feel better if I could get motivated to take better care of myself.
I’m tired of feeling sick and tired, and I’m not going to put my wellness on the back burner anymore.
I just got diagnosed with a mental health condition, and I’m worried about medication side effects.

If any of this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place.

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What’s Being Said

After the GROOVE SESSIONS® I actually feel energized throughout my whole body! That’s crazy!

Lindsay | Certified Peer Recovery Supporter

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GROOVE THERAPY™ is an exceptional option on your path to wellness, I would recommend it to any of my clients.

Nick | Qualified Behavioral Mental Health Specialist

I appreciate that something so easy and enjoyable stimulates better mental health. It’s a win, win.

Trisha | Teacher

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We need this for every single staff member every week! I came in here so tense, and now I’m relaxed and energized. I feel great!

Mary Kay | Licensed Social Worker, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III

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I’m surprised how much I take away from leading drum groups. It’s so clear that the activities are helping the participants, but facilitating GROOVE SESSIONS® affects me, too. I feel so much more connected to others and happier when I leave these sessions. There’s always a lesson to learn in drumming about who I am and what it means to be part of a community. I always find myself feeling more balanced and in tune with myself after GROOVE SESSIONS®.

Emma | Student Nurse – Co-facilitator

When we had GROOVE SESSIONS® at our non-profit organization’s retreat, I assumed I’d be the only participant who would look like a fool and not be able to do it. But, after just a little bit, I felt so calm and relaxed. Drumming resets me to a whole new frequency—the most beneficial frequency. That’s the only way I can explain it.

Leah | Non-profit Board Member

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the author's credentials?

Laurel has master of science and master of arts degrees and is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and applied ethnomusicologist. She also holds certification in interprofessional healthcare and integrative psychiatric practice. She currently practices psychiatric mental health in the outpatient setting.

Are the techniques in the book compatible with other therapies?

Absolutely. Current research confirms that drumming improves mood and emotional regulation, provides anti-inflammatory effects, and increases pain relief hormones, brain growth and adaptation (neuroplasticity), and prosocial behavior. These natural benefits are compatible with all other interventions including talk therapy and pharmacological treatment. No matter what you’re doing to manage your mental health, drumming can help you feel even better.

Do you offer training to become a GROOVE SESSIONS® facilitator?

Several workshops, online courses, and events are currently available to immerse my clients in drumming together. To discuss which course would suit your needs or to explore certification as a GROOVE SESSIONS® facilitator, please sign up for the waitlist. See Programs here.

Why did you write this book?

Because it’s been more than 15 years since a book was published on the topic of rhythm and neuroscience, and because I’m in a unique position to write it. As an ethnomusicologist and an advanced practice nurse, I see both the musical meanings and healthcare benefits of drumming together. This pop psychology book is an easy read, and it doesn’t skimp on the research-based evidence.

Who should read this book?

Anyone who desires a nontoxic way to protect, stabilize, and restore mental wellness. Whether you have a psychiatric diagnosis, love someone who struggles with mental health, or serve in a clinic, community center, or corporate position where you have responsibility for the mental wellness of others, you’ll find help and hope in this book.

How do you feel about psych meds?

Medications are an essential part of our healthcare paradigm, and every prescriber and patient should know their benefits, risks, and limitations. While psych meds can stabilize a crisis, they don’t typically cure mental illness or improve brain health. Medications may provide short-term relief so patients and their healthcare providers can seek long-term solutions. Recovery is the goal of treatment, and patients need better brain health to gain remission, psychological resilience, and robust mental wellness.

Your Brain Changes Daily

Fifteen months from now, your brain will have swapped out all your nerve cell connections for completely new ones. Your brain grows and molds itself to its environment. So the choices you make today can completely transform the way you think, feel, and act.

Don’t look back a year from now and wish you had started on your journey to better mental wellness sooner.

Let’s get started!

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