Board-certified music therapist joins Children’s & Women’s Hospital staff 

By Casandra Andrews
[email protected]

You may have seen her walking down the halls with an acoustic guitar strapped to her back at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, striding by with a smile to see her next patient. The woman with the beautiful voice and kind spirit is  Sonya Amacker, MS, MT-BC, NMT, NICU-MT, a board-certified music therapist who recently joined the Mapp Child & Family Life Program.    

While music may soothe the soul, music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized therapeutic goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional.

Music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare and educational goals, according to the American Music Therapy Association. Research shows music therapy can improve a patient's hospital experiences by reducing anxiety, pain, and emotional distress while supporting coping, family engagement, and overall well-being.

"At Children’s & Women’s Hospital, we're committed to caring for the whole child, which means supporting every aspect of a patient's well-being,” said hospital CEO Deborah Browning, MSN, RN, CENP. “Music therapy is an important part of that commitment. As a valued member of our multidisciplinary care team, our certified music therapist helps children manage pain and anxiety, express emotions, build resilience, and find moments of comfort during what can be an incredibly difficult time. Just as importantly, music therapy provides parents and caregivers with meaningful ways to connect with their children, fostering hope, reducing stress, and creating lasting memories.”

Investing in music therapy, Browning added, reflects the belief that exceptional pediatric care is compassionate, evidence-based, and centered on the needs of the entire family.

After a referral,  Amacker develops an individualized assessment and treatment plan for each patient that is integrated with the interdisciplinary care team. In the hospital setting, music therapists collaborate with physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, therapists, and members of the child life program to support a patient’s medical, rehabilitation, developmental, emotional, and psychosocial needs.

Kimberly Thompson-Yates, M.Ed., who leads the Mapp Child & Family Life Program, said parents, patients and staff can’t say enough about Amacker’s contributions, describing her as an outstanding addition to the hospital team.

"Music therapy brings comfort, connection, and moments of joy when children and families need them most,” Thompson-Yates said. “Having a board-certified music therapist on staff means patients have access to evidence-based care that helps reduce anxiety, supports emotional expression, and creates positive experiences throughout hospitalization. Music also gives parents and caregivers a meaningful way to participate in their child's care, strengthening family bonds during some of life's most challenging moments.”

Currently, Amacker serves pediatric patients in the hospital’s critical care units, plus oncology and hematology, infusion and chemotherapy, neurology, cardiology, medical/surgical, within rehabilitation services, palliative care and behavioral health.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Mobile and a master’s degree in post-secondary music education from Troy University before completing the Music Therapy Equivalency Program at William Carey University.

Following her clinical internship at UAB Hospital, she earned the credential Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC) through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). She also holds advanced clinical training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) and NICU Music Therapy (NICU-MT) equipping her to provide evidenced-based music therapy interventions for individuals with neurologic conditions as well as premature infants and their families.

For more information about referring a patient, contact  Amacker at [email protected] or Thompson-Yates at [email protected].