San Diego Music Therapists

Our San Diego Music Therapists

Our Board Certified Neurologic Music Therapists specialize in serving children and teens with autism, Down syndrome, communication disorders, Rett syndrome, Williams syndrome, learning disabilities, vision impairments, neurologic disorders, and mental health challenges.  We provide IEP services in school districts throughout San Diego county in addition to after-school programs such as adapted music lessons.  Coast Music Therapy’s staff utilize research-supported approaches and tailor our music therapy techniques to your child’s strengths, interests, and learning preferences.

Our Board Certified Music Therapists meet the following requirements:

• Hold an undergraduate and/or graduate degree in music therapy from an American Music Therapy Association-approved institution.
• Maintain board certification through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), which is accredited by The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA); the same governing body for Occupational Therapy and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification.
• Complete ongoing professional development through conference attendance, seminars, and workshops that cover topics such as music therapy techniques, autism, special education, Neurologic Music Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis, musical performance, and early childhood development.

Michelle Lazar, MA, MT–BC
Autism Specialist, Music Therapist, Founder and Director

Michelle founded Coast Music Therapy in 1999 in order to expand opportunities available for families seeking San Diego music therapy services to give their child a new approach to learning. In addition to her degree in music therapy, Michelle completed her graduate degree in special education with an emphasis in autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at San Diego State University. Michelle is also the founder of the Tuned in to Learning® a music-assisted learning curriculum, designed for special education and IEP support.