Somatic Music Therapy | Online in Maryland & Vermont
for Creatives, Performers, and Healers
Reconnect with creativity. Recover from trauma. Feel more grounded, authentic, and fully yourself.
If you’re being honest with yourself…
You’ve always felt kind of like a poser, like you don’t belong in the rooms that you’re in.
You’re tired of the constant battle between who you are and how you want to be perceived.
It’s been forever since you felt truly inspired and engaged in the creative process. You’ve lost touch with your joy, play, curiosity, and imagination - the things that used to make you feel alive.
After years of what feels like living for the happiness of others (family, friends, bosses)… you wonder when it’ll finally be your turn to get your needs met.
You often feel…
responsible for everyone else’s emotions
worried about being a burden, disappointment, or “too much”
disconnected from your creativity and spirit
trapped in your head, overthinking every decision
stuck in overdrive - like you’re always behind and need to work harder, even though you already know you’re doing your best
You’ve survived painful experiences that left you questioning your worth and your place in the world.
dysfunctional family dynamics
abusive work environments
relationships where you learned to abandon yourself
Somewhere along the way, you lost trust in your own voice.
And despite all the strategies you’ve used to cope over the years - talk therapy, yoga, self-help podcasts - you still feel weighed down by the past.
Somatic, music-centered therapy can help.
The truth is, trauma and anxiety live in the body - which is why talk therapy alone does not heal it.
Meanwhile, music speaks the same language as our emotions and nervous system. The imagery and memories it evokes act as a mirror, reflecting back our truth.
In our sessions, we’ll let music and imagery carry you to places you’ve needed to go. We’ll move past the thinking mind, and listen deeply to the body.
This approach allows us to access emotional, physical, and spiritual healing that goes beyond words… and leads to deep, lasting, and meaningful change.
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), LCMHC, & Nationally Board-Certified Music Therapist | she/her
Hi there.
I’m Alison Dagger, a therapist for creatives, performers, and healers in Maryland and Vermont.
I believe that recovery from complex trauma, chronic anxiety, and imposter syndrome is possible - and that you are not defined by what happened to you, but by who you are.
I want to help you make peace with experiences of the past, reconnect with creativity, and feel more grounded, authentic, and fully yourself.
If you seek a calming, authentic, and kind presence to guide you on your healing journey, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome.
If you’re wondering, do I have trauma?…
here’s what I want you to know.
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Trauma isn’t always a big event (though it can be). Sometimes, trauma shows up as a series of invalidating, overwhelming, or distressing experiences across time.
Trauma can present as maladaptive coping mechanisms - like people-pleasing, overthinking, and perfectionism. It can feel like losing trust in yourself; or a deep sense of loneliness or unease.
Trauma is felt in the body. You don’t have to remember or know exactly what happened, in order to be impacted by it.
Trauma can stem from personal, historical, and intergenerational experiences.
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Talking about the past may help you understand it better - but we need a mind and body approach in order to truly heal.
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I offer a somatic, music-centered approach to therapy because I’ve seen what is possible when we bring music, creative expression, and embodied awareness into the healing process. You have what you need to heal, already inside of you - this work helps to unlock it.
In our sessions, the power of music, imagery, and somatic awareness allows you to:
listen deeply within and build a supportive relationship with yourself
nurture your mind, body, and spirit
learn how to trust yourself and make choices that align with your wants and needs
build a sense of confidence and worthiness from within
find healthy ways to express your emotions, so that you feel less reactive in difficult situations and more confident and connected
expand your capacity to be with it all - the good and the hard parts of life - with curiosity, letting go of shame and self-judgment
access joy, play, creativity, and imagination, bringing healing to your inner child
My clients are:
Artists | Musicians | Poets
Writers | Dancers | Singers
Therapists | Psychologists | Nurses
Theatre Performers | Actors
Creative Humans of all Walks of Life
Therapy Services in Maryland & Vermont
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Music Therapy
An evidenced-based approach that centers music as the source of change and healing. Through a technique called Supportive Music & Imagery, we’ll weave together music and visual art creation, to help you attune inwardly, reframe beliefs, and connect to inner resources.
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Somatic Therapy for PTSD & Complex Trauma
A bottom-up approach to healing that integrates mind & body. Because when trauma lives in the body, you need embodied awareness - not just cognitive understanding - in order to heal.
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Brainspotting Therapy
An evidence-based, neuro-experiential approach that bypasses the thinking mind and works with deep, subconscious parts of the brain.
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Inner Child Work
A therapeutic process that helps you connect with & heal younger, vulnerable parts of the subconscious; explore unprocessed childhood emotions; and become the parent you never had, but needed.
Ready to begin your healing journey?
1) Click here to view my availability & book your first session. A brief screener will help me begin getting to know you.
2) Once I approve your request, I’ll reach out via email to introduce myself and see if you have any questions. You will receive paperwork, to be completed at least 24 hours before the session.
If needed, I am happy to hop on a brief call to answer any questions.
3) We’ll meet for your first session. I’ll introduce myself, explain my approach, and ask you questions. We will build a care plan that reflects your top priorities.
Moving forward, both of us will commit to a consistent schedule with intention and purpose.