About Our Music Therapy Retreats

Music Therapy of the Rockies Retreats provides evidence-based music therapy practices to support veterans who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When we held the first retreat in 2017, it became apparent from the beginning that our approach was unique and successful. There were other organizations doing songwriting or guitar work with veterans, but no one was approaching this healing opportunity from an evidence-based perspective. At Music Therapy of the Rockies Retreats, research is driving the protocol and design.

Veterans are willing to try many activities or therapies to improve their lives, so we knew we needed to expand our knowledge base to more music therapists who work with the military community. We applied for approved provider status with the Certification Board of Music Therapists to offer a unique, incredible opportunity.

How Many CMTE Credits do Music Therapists Receive at Our Retreats?

Music Therapists are required to acquire 100 continuing education credits (CMTE’s) in a 5 year period. Most CMTE courses are for 3 credits and are online or at conferences. We wanted to present a course that incorporated the science behind the program, the concept of the interventions, and the documentation. Then, we decided to offer all of that information during an actual retreat. Our experience includes two days of lectures and experiential opportunities. Each CMTE participant receives 28 CMTE credits from our 4-day weekend retreats!

What is the CMTE Experience on an MTR Retreat?

CMTE participants observe each aspect of the retreat. They see everything from the opening dinner, to assessing the veterans, and supporting them during the guitar therapy portion. While the CMTE participants will not be paired with the veterans for songwriting (our songwriters are lined up in advance), they will be part of a pairing to observe nonverbal behaviors by the veteran during the writing process. Often, CMTE participants become part of the process by adding vocals.

The final benefit of attending our unique PTSD course is the potential for future opportunities. As we expand our retreats around the country, we need music therapists trained in our program and philosophy to run them. We want to reach more people who experience PTSD with this healing work. This could be an opportunity for you to help support our nonprofit’s ongoing growth.

Please visit our Continuing Education page for more information and to register for an upcoming “Music and the PTSD Brain in Military Veterans” course.