Healing Rhythms Music Therapy, LLC
Empowering lives through music
Meet the Therapists
Christina Wood, MA, MT-BC
Founder & Executive Director
Christina grew up on a farm in south-central MN. She completed her bachelor’s degree of music education & music therapy at Wartburg College and received her Master’s of Arts in Music Therapy from Saint Mary of-the-Woods College. She has completed additional training in Neurologic Music Therapy, NICU Music Therapy, the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, and is a Remo HealthRHYTHMS Facilitator.
Christina has experience working as a music therapist with children and adults with special needs, adult and pediatric hospice, bereavement, pediatrics and adult medical settings, rehabilitation, wellness, program development and consulting. Christina is passionate about starting and implementing music therapy programs at new facilities and educating medical professionals and community members about the benefits of music therapy for patients. She also enjoys consulting on projects in the community for music medicine and music therapy.
Amelia McDonald, MT-BC
Employee
Amelia has been a music therapist with Healing Rhythms since July 2016. She completed her internship at Woodbury Health Care Center and graduated from the University of Iowa that same year, where her primary instrument was double bass, although she studied voice as well. Amelia works primarily with hospice patients, those living with dementia, and their loved ones. She loves interacting with people and is passionate about providing opportunities for autonomy, self-expression, and validation with music. In her free time, Amelia enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Destiny Boyum, MT-BC
Employee
Destiny has been a therapist at Healing Rhythms since January 2017. She graduated from Augsburg College with a major in music therapy and minor in psychology. She completed her clinical internship in an inpatient psychiatric setting with adults and teens. She has spent the majority of her clinical work in pediatric and mental health settings. Destiny loves rock music, creative outlets and performing locally with her bands.”
Brianna Larsen, MA, MT-BC
Employee
Brianna Larsen received her music therapy degree from the University of North Dakota and completed her her Master’s Degree from Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College. She has advanced training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and as a Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow. Brianna has provided services to a wide variety of populations including neonatal intensive care, hospice, pediatric and adult intensive care units, palliative medicine, rehabilitation, Parkinson’s exercise groups, and older adult groups. Brianna experiences great joy in learning the unique stories from each patient she meets. She enjoys playing French horn in a community orchestra and playing soccer in her free time.
Emma Evans-Peck, MT-BC
Employee
Emma Evans-Peck began working as a Board-Certified Music Therapist for Healing Rhythms Integrative Therapies in January of 2019. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Therapy degree at Wartburg College after completing a 6-month internship at Park Nicollet Health Services and her board exams. Emma currently serves the Austin, Albert Lea, and Owatonna region, mainly serving older adults and hospice clients, but also branching out to early childhood and school populations. Emma aims to bring meaning to individuals’ lives through music, whether that be through recalling memories, creating legacies, or learning more about the world and the self. Through her work as a music therapist, Emma has received the American Music Therapy Association’s Past President’s Conference Scholarship in 2021, helped a hospice patient put on an art show, and has brought greater recognition of music therapy to her community with the help of Healing Rhythms Integrative Therapies. Outside of work, Emma directs a children’s choir, proofreads books for a publishing company, volunteers for a local arts-based nonprofit, and cuddles with her cats, Jooniper and Magnolia.
Karen Rorie, BCTMB
Employee
Karen Rorie is a board-certified massage therapist and Healing Rhythms’ hospice massage therapist serving Rochester. She joined our team in 2020 and enjoys the meaningful interactions with patients and the support of outstanding colleagues at Healing Rhythms. When not doing massage, Karen enjoys making jewelry, cooking and baking, and hanging out with friends, family and her cat Gus.
Maureen Tousley
Office Coordinator
Maureen joined the Healing Rhythms team as Office Assistant in June, 2018. She has a broad background and experience providing administrative support in the information technology industry. Her goal is to keep her team organized, prioritized and less stressed. Maureen is proud to support the passion and commitment the therapists bring to their clients through music therapy.
Annika Johnson, MT-BC
Employee
Annika began working for Healing Rhythms in April of 2021 as one of the main therapists for our clinic based in Rochester, Minnesota. She graduated with a double degree in music therapy and horn performance from Wartburg College and completed an internship at the Franciscan Life Process Center in Grand Rapids, MI. She has a passion for working with individuals with special needs and children. When not at work, she enjoys playing french horn, photography, biking, and finding the best coffee around.
Isaac Winkler, MT-BC
Employee
Isaac joined the Healing Rhythms team in December 2021. He studied music therapy at Augsburg University in their master's program and completed a clinical internship at Children's Minnesota hospital. He also has experience teaching music in elementary schools and conducting choir in middle and high schools. He is passionate about working with a variety of populations including children with disabilities and adults in hospice. He enjoys singing in community choirs and songwriting on acoustic guitar."
Josh Niemann, MT-BC
Employee
Josh joined the Healing Rhythms team in April of 2021. He has been playing guitar since he was thirteen years old, and his passion for making music led him to study music therapy at Illinois State University. After graduating in 2019, Josh went on to work as an intern at Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he worked with older adults in memory care and assisted living, both in individual and group settings. Josh now specializes in hospice, and visits patients and their families in Mankato and the surrounding communities. He also works with groups of older adults to promote reminiscence, socialization, and cognitive stimulation. When he’s not working, Josh likes to go for walks, run, solve puzzles, and spend time with friends, family, and pets. Josh is honored and thrilled to be a part of the Healing Rhythms team, and use his skills to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Sydney Brown, MT-BC
Employee
Sydney joined Healing Rhythms after receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Music Therapy with a minor in Psychology from Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina. While earning her degree she completed an internship with the Arts in Healing program at the Medical University of South Carolina. She hails from the Great Lake State of Michigan but feels at home in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. She looks forward to exploring the area and serving the community. She enjoys working with a variety of populations, but has a special place in her heart for hospice and palliative care. In her free time she crochets and bakes bread.
Whitney Borchardt, MT-BC
Employee
Whitney joined the team in October 2021. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in music therapy from Concordia University in Seward, NE and completed her internship focused on hospice in Houston, TX. During internship, she found her passion with hospice and is excited to continue to learn and grow in the field. She is originally from west central Minnesota and is enjoying being back in her home state!
Roberta Stevens
Office Manager
Roberta Stevens