Katie Opher (Music Therapy, Music Group Leader, Director of Day Camps)
Katie Opher is The Center on Central’s Program Manager and Director of Day Camps, as well as being a provider of Music and Music Therapy. Katie is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and Master’s Level Board Certified music therapist (MT-BC) and has been in practice for over 20 years. Katie earned her Master’s degree in Creative Arts Therapy from Hahnemann University (now part of Drexel University, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member).
Katie is adept at integrating verbal processing within the arts and focusing on purposeful use of the arts to address therapeutic goals. She believes that the verbal processing is essential to having the arts experience relate to real life and to making progress within therapy.
Katie brings her musical expertise into her therapy practice by using live music; she specializes in meeting her clients in their areas of strength, in order to address whatever issues they need to work on and goals they seek to reach. Katie has worked varying populations which include: infants in the NICU, toddlers in mommy and me music groups, non-verbal students on the autism spectrum, out-patient pediatric cancer patients, brain injured teens and adults in rehabilitation, normal and emotionally disturbed adolescents, moms-to-be and new mothers, normal adults (using music to decrease anxiety and work to alleviate depression), and seniors in assisted living and Alzheimer’s units.
In 2000, Katie founded a non-profit, called Creative Arts for Everyone®, and has administered a grant from the Department of Human Services in the City of Philadelphia for a total of 15 years, managing and supervising a groundbreaking program which provides Creative Arts Therapy services in the supervised visitation program in the Family Court of Philadelphia.
Current Programs by Katie Opher
Music Group - Mommy & Me for ages infant-5 (Saturdays 11:30am)
| Type: | Music Groups |
| Group: | Kindergarten, Preschool & Toddler |
| Provider: | Katie Opher |
| Day/Time: | Saturday, 11:30 am - 12:00 pm |
| Cost: | $15 per class, with 6-class minimum. Deposit: $50. Individual/drop-in sessions: $18 for individual sessions (check ahead for space availability). |
MOMMY (or Daddy or caregiver) AND ME MUSIC GROUP
For one adult per child ages infant-5
Katie leads a globe-themed music group
Click above to register for this program.
Music Lessons
| Type: | Music Lessons |
| Provider: | Jennifer Fisher, Katie Opher, Lynne Hockenbury, Tom Caywood |
| Day/Time: | By Appointment, Monday, Thursday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
| Cost: | $30 for 30-minute lesson, $45 for 45-minute lesson, $60 for 1-hour lesson. |
If you have not had success with music lessons in the past, or might be intimidated by the prospect of learning a new skill, you will want to try taking lessons with us here at The Center on Central. Our teachers work with your learning style and utilize creative techniques to ensure successful musical experiences.
While acknowledging that there is a basic curriculum necessary for musical knowledge and growth, we make sure to provide literature and instruction that is age-appropriate. Students learn the instrument of their choice, but also have the option to use their theory and skills on xylophones, drums and other rhythm instruments we have in our studio. Many students learn chord progressions in a relatively short span of time, and are playing entire songs and even writing songs within a month.
We offer piano lessons to children starting at age 4 ½, guitar lessons beginning at age 7, voice lessons beginning at age 10 – and continuing into adulthood – and have instructors available for other instruments based on your inquiry and a brief telephone interview.
Read Lynne Hockenbury’s article entitled “Why Music?“
Cost is $30 for a 30-minute individual private lesson.
Music Therapy - Individual Sessions and New Groups
| Type: | Music Therapy |
| Group: | Special Needs Programs |
| Provider: | Katie Opher |
| Day/Time: | By Appointment |
If you are interested in individual music therapy sessions, please complete the contact form. We will contact you to learn more about your needs and pair you with a masters-degreed music therapist.
Please also contact The Center if you are interested in hearing about the formation of new music therapy groups, such as:
- Social Skills Group for children ages 2-4
- Everybody Play…Music Therapy! group for grades K-5
Music Therapy - Social Skills Group for elementary
| Type: | Music Therapy |
| Group: | Elementary School, Special Needs Programs |
| Provider: | Katie Opher |
| Day/Time: | Saturday, 11:00 am - 11:30 am |
| Cost: | $150 for 6 consecutive sessions., with 6-class minimum. Deposit: $50. |
A weekly Music Therapy Social Skills Group for elementary school-age children who can benefit from activities designed to foster positive interactions with peers
Click above to register for this program.
Music Therapy - Social Skills Group for teens
| Type: | Music Therapy |
| Group: | Special Needs Programs, Teens |
| Provider: | Katie Opher |
| Day/Time: | Monday, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm |
| Cost: | $270 for 6 consecutive sessions., with 6-class minimum. Deposit: $50. |
A weekly Music Therapy Social Skills Group for teens who can benefit from activities designed to foster positive interactions with peers
Click above to register for this program.
