Meet your therapist!
Samantha Dean
Owner, MM, CBIS, MT-BC
Hi and welcome! I am a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist. I am an upbeat, fun-loving individual with over a decade of experience working with children and adults in various clinical, medical, and enrichment settings. I completed my master's degree in music therapy from Colorado State University and undergraduate degrees in music performance and psychology from Rutgers University. Now I specialize in early development, brain injury, and developmental disabilities.
More personally, I am a mom of 3 (under 5!) with an immense love for working with children and individuals with special needs. I also love craft coffee, snowboarding, hiking, and working out! After many years spent as assistant director of Mosaic Music Therapy in Sea Girt, NJ, I took some time off to be a stay at home mom before creating Hope & Harmony NJ.
While I am so grateful to have had these opportunities, I am also super excited for this new era of starting my own business and supporting the families of our community with something I'm most passionate about. It is so incredible to watch someone develop/regain skills through the evidence-based use of music!
Visit www.musictherapy.org to learn more about music therapy!
Ms. Cara
MM, MT-BC
Cara is a board-certified music therapist, singer, songwriter, and clinical researcher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and her master’s degree from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Her career has taken her around the world—from performing as a cruise ship singer to leading research on therapeutic music practices in Kenya and South Africa. Now back in her home community of Monmouth County, Cara brings her global experience to her work as a music therapist and local performer, helping others discover the power of music for connection, growth, and healing.
Ms. Melissa
MA, MT-BC
Melissa is a board certified music therapist. She completed my master’s degree in music therapy at Montclair State University and my bachelor’s degree in music and communication studies at The College of New Jersey. She has worked with individuals of all ages in various settings. The majority of her clinical experience has been in pediatrics, including individuals spanning from infant to young adult and their families. Melissa's primary instrument is clarinet. When appropriate, she loves to incorporate it in sessions, along with voice, piano, guitar, ukulele, and percussion. She is passionate about music therapy and how it presents the opportunity for children and adults to express themselves, socialize, increase self-esteem, relax, and so much more