01
In The Session
A clinician, a simple instrument, and the option to just listen instead. There is no recital and no unstructured free-for-all.
Music Therapy For Teens
When a teen can't find the words, playing a rhythm or choosing a song can sometimes be the first honest thing they share all week.
- 30-90 days
- Ages 12-17
- Optional
- Joint Commission accredited
- Family-owned since 2021
What this is
Music Can Help When Talking Gets Stuck
This is a facilitated hour of rhythm, voice, or listening for teens who find it hard to begin a conversation. A feeling that doesn't fit into a sentence may fit into a beat, and musical ability is not the point. Individual therapy still leads the treatment plan. This is not a talent show or a band with a therapy label attached.
When talking is the thing that stalls
- 01
A Body That Follows A Beat
Anxiety or ADHD can sometimes settle around a rhythm before it settles around a thought, so we start with the simpler thing.
- 02
A Voice They Don't Want To Use In Group
Your teen can play, listen, or simply be in the room. They do not have to perform an insight in front of their peers.
- 03
Depression With No Words For It
A song your teen picks can be the most honest thing they have offered all week, and we treat it as real material for therapy.
- 04
Trauma That Is Hard To Talk About
Sound can feel safer than telling the story. We control the volume carefully, so the session stays usable for your teen.
- 05
They Say They Are Not Musical
That is completely fine here. Showing up is the work, and nobody is being auditioned.
- 06
A Group That Is Not A Circle Of Chairs
Doing something side by side can be a first way for a teen to join the household, without needing a speech they haven't prepared.
How it works
Where Music Fits Into The Week
The facilitated session, the individual therapist who hears what the song was about, and a house with clear limits on volume.
02
With Their Therapist
A lyric that captured the week can become material in individual therapy. The two clinicians share the theme, not a recording.
03
In The House
Headphones have their place in the house, and a speaker in the common room has limits, since turning up the volume isn't a plan for a hard mood.
Our approach
How Music Fits Into The Plan
Rhythm first, singing optional, and the session skipped when sound feels like too much for your teen.
- Core of the plan
Rhythm As A Way To Settle
A nervous system that can follow a beat can often then follow a breath, so we start with whichever is easier for your teen.
Singing Stays Optional
Your teen can play an instrument or listen, and they never have to sing. Their consent guides this hour.
The Song Counts As Material
The primary therapist hears what the music was about. We don't treat the song choice as only entertainment.
Group Participation Without A Speech
Doing something together, with sharing optional, can help your teen feel less isolated. Nobody has to explain their song.
- When needed
Skipped When Sound Feels Like Too Much
A sensory issue, a trigger we cannot manage, or sound that feels like too much for your teen all mean we skip it entirely.
Your part
No Performance Is Expected
You hear what the session was working on. You are not an audience waiting for a concert your teen never agreed to give.
Play me what they did in there.
Ask What The Session Was For
You hear the goal of the hour. A performance only happens if your teen offers one themselves.
So they joined a band?
Hearing The Theme, Not A Set List
Family sessions cover what the music was about. A set list would turn the hour into a progress report on talent.
Headphones will handle it at home.
Planning How They Use Music At Home
We name a healthy way to use music after discharge, so a playlist doesn't become your teen's only coping skill.
Length of stay
30
days in residence, by progress
These sessions run alongside the 30 to 90 day stay, and we do not stop them on a schedule.
90
How This Fits Into A Stay
These sessions happen inside a 30 to 90 day stay at our family-owned Southern California house. They do not replace individual therapy, and we skip them when sound feels like too much for a teen or they would rather not take part. Aftercare means a next therapist who already knows what came up.
- The first two weeks are for finding an approach that works, without pushing a teen toward a song they aren't ready to hear.
- Most teens finish in one to three months, and some don't use these sessions at all because talking was already enough.
- Aftercare means a next therapist and a plan for using music at home, not a band your teen was never in.
When to call
Call Us. We'll Tell You If This House Fits.
If your teen finds it easier to take part in something other than a talking circle, call Aaron Earnest and the admissions team. They will help you decide whether this belongs in the treatment plan. If drawing appeals more than music, our art therapy page may be the better fit.
Before you call
The Details Families Ask About First
- Who treats your teen
- Clinical care is led by Alejandro Alva, M.D., our Medical Director, and Stacia Ponce-Rodriguez, LMFT, our Clinical Director.Meet the team
- Cost and insurance
- We verify your benefits at no cost before anyone is asked to commit, with plans including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, GEHA, and Magellan. Benefits vary by plan, and verification is not a guarantee of coverage.How admissions works
- How progress is tracked
- Your teen's treatment plan is reviewed as their progress changes, and the next step is planned around that progress instead of a set date.
- Where your teen lives
- Teens live in a boys' house or a girls' house, in Orange County or Riverside County in Southern California. Families can tour the homes by appointment through admissions.Residential treatment for teen boysResidential treatment for teenage girlsTour the homes
FAQ
Questions About Music Therapy For Teens
Answers to what parents often ask about music therapy in our program. If your question is not here, admissions can talk it through with you.
What happens during a music therapy session?
It is a facilitated hour of rhythm, voice, or listening, with a clinician and a simple instrument. Your teen can choose to just listen, and there is no recital.
Does my teen need to be musical to take part?
Musical ability is not the point, and teens who say they are not musical are completely fine here. Showing up is the work, and nobody is being auditioned.
Will my teen have to sing or perform for others?
Your teen can play an instrument or listen, and they never have to sing. Their consent guides this hour, and sharing in the group is optional.
When would my teen skip music therapy?
A sensory issue, a trigger we cannot manage, or sound that feels like too much for your teen all mean we skip it entirely. We also skip it when your teen would rather not take part, and individual therapy still leads the plan.
How will we hear about what came up in music therapy?
Family sessions cover what the music was about, and a performance only happens if your teen offers one. We also name a healthy way to use music after discharge, so a playlist doesn't become their only coping skill.