Bringing Acceptance and Hope Forth Through Music

Compassionate Hospice and Palliative Music Therapy in Raleigh, North Carolina. Providing dignity, emotional comfort, and spiritual support for you and your loved ones.

Connect With Us
Allison Antkowiak, MT-BC

Meet Allison Antkowiak

Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC)

With 24 years of experience, I strive to help people see and find hope through music, conversation, and remembrance in a therapeutic relationship. Before a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, they were a whole person. After diagnosis, they are still that whole person with very new concerns that benefit from being heard.

I am a Music Therapy Association of NC member, former Duke Artist-in-Residence, and a Musical Presence Volunteer at Transitions LifeCare. Music is the tool. Caring is the reason.

CBMT Certified → AMTA Member →

Our Services

Providing life reminiscence, pain alleviation, and comfort through familiar songs, pictures, and your stories.

Hospice & Palliative Care

Clinical rounds for patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses. We schedule first visit assessments within 48 hours of contact.

Funerals & Memorials

Live vocal, piano, or guitar music for patient funerals or celebrations of life. Please provide 72 hours notice for music preparation.

Consultations

Ongoing music therapy sessions for other therapeutic needs, including adult, senior, child, and adolescent grief and loss counseling.

The Science of Comfort

Using Music Therapy Entrainment to reduce pain perception and bring peace during life's most difficult transitions.

Core Principles

  • 1
    The Iso Principle

    We start by meeting the patient exactly where they are regarding their mood or discomfort, then introduce music to gently help them move closer to a more beneficial state.

  • 2
    Resonance & Empathy

    Our approach relies on resonance vibration, allowing the therapist to empathize deeply with what the patient is experiencing.

  • 3
    Entrainment

    By paying close attention to the pace of breathing and indications of discomfort, we use music to create a connection that acts as a "pull," gently drawing the patient away from their pain.

Our 5 Stages of Care

  • Assessment: Learning about musical preferences and understanding the type, location, and severity of the pain.
  • Goal Formation: Therapist and patient work as a team to decide on desired outcomes for the sessions.
  • Creating an Auditory Image: Exploring what the pain "sounds" like, then using those specifications to create customized healing music.
  • Externalization & Resonance: Playing the "pain music" to connect with the current state, then transitioning to the tailored "healing music."
  • Evaluation: Discussing the experience and using a pain scale to measure any drop in the perception of pain.

Research-Backed Benefits

Quantitative research involving over 10,500 patients in hospice and palliative care has demonstrated that music therapy creates significant, measurable improvements in a wide variety of areas. Additionally, collaborative music selection—particularly instrumental music—creates a "musical pathway" that helps patients and grieving families process their thoughts, connect with their feelings, and move toward acceptance.

Physical Relief
  • Pain reduction
  • Lowered blood pressure & heart rate
  • Decreased respiratory distress
  • Increased physical vigor
Emotional Support
  • Reduced anxiety and tension
  • Decreased feelings of isolation
  • Improved patient and family mood
  • Enhanced overall comfort
Spiritual & Holistic Care
  • Deepened spiritual support
  • Improved length and quality of life
  • Assistance and peace at time of death
  • Facilitating the path to acceptance

Music in Practice

Contact Us

Reach out, connect, and extend a compassionate hand; see the comfort and support we can bring during challenging times. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

allisonantkowiak@HOPEFORTHllc.com
(386) 397-3374
Raleigh, NC and Surrounding Areas