🏄🏿‍♀️

Ridin' the waves of life

🏄🏿‍♀️ Ridin' the waves of life

Hi, I’m Caroline

A Licensed Professional Counselor and Board-Certified Music Therapist based in Richmond, VA, seeing clients across Texas and Virginia.

I'm neurodivergent myself, a second-generation Jamaican American, and a lifelong nerd who plays harp, piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, and kbandu drum.

My approach blends talk therapy with interactive expressive arts, music, mind/body techniques, nature, and whatever fandoms or interests that light you up.

I thoroughly believe that your favorite games, shows, art, or music can be a doorway into understanding your story.

If you're looking for a therapist who won't blink at your special, alternative interests (or your intrusive thoughts around them), let's talk.

Below you'll find my full clinical background, licenses, and credentials.

Let’s blend science, the arts, and a bit of magic into your life’s journey.

Welcome to this space!

LICENSES

  • Licensed Professional Counselor - TX (#89630, valid through 2027)

  • Licensed Professional Counselor - VA (#0701015981, valid through 2027)

  • Licensed Music Therapist - VA ( #0911000046, valid through 2027)

CERTIFICATIONS

  • Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) - (#173935)

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC) - (#173935)

  • Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) - (#12694, valid through 2026)

  • Specialized Certification in NICU Medical Music Therapy (NICU-MT) - (completed in 2023)

A smiling woman with curly hair, wearing a black top and earrings, sitting beside a harp against a colorful brick wall background.
Magic: The Gathering custom card titled 'Caroline, Mistress of Mirth,' featuring a smiling woman with headphones, in a room with a small decorated Christmas tree in the background.
Statue of a female angel with large wings, wearing a yellow dress with a halo, holding a knife in one hand and a colorful skull in the other, standing on coins surrounded by green plants.
Caroline Bryan, LPC, MT-BC, is wearing a black graduation cap with LEGOs on top of the cap..

EDUCATION

  • Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
    Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Concentration in Expressive Arts Therapy (2019-2022)

  • Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA
    Graduate Studies in Music Therapy (2014-2016)

  • James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
    Bachelor’s in Music Industry (2010-2014)

Clinical Experience

Caroline Bryan as a music therapist and expressive arts therapist at the Children's hospital of Los Angeles. She has a guitar strapped to her back, is wearing a mask and protective eye wear. She is standing by her expressive arts cart.

Dallas Therapy Associates (Private Practice), Dallas, TX

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (2025-Present)

  • Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (2022-2025)

  • Master’s Level Mental Health Intern (2021-2022)

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

  • NICCU Music Therapy // Expressive Arts Therapy Resident (2020-2021)

HCA Parham Doctors Hospital, Henrico, VA

  • Expressive therapist for inpatient behavioral health unit and partial hospitalization program. (2017-2020)

Noah’s Children, Richmond, VA

  • Music therapist for at-home palliative care services. (2016–2017)

Poplar Springs Hospital, Richmond, VA

  • Music therapist for adult, pre-adolescent, and adolescent inpatient behavioral health hospital and residential treatment center. (2016–2017)

Music Therapy Field Service Project, Portland, Jamaica

  • Music Therapy Practicum Student (Summer 2015)

Art 180, Charterhouse School, Richmond, VA

  • Songwriting Program Leader (Fall 2016)

James River Juvenile Detention, Goochland, VA

  • Music Therapy Intern (Spring 2016)

VCU Medical Hospital, Richmond, VA

  • Music Therapy Practicum Student (Fall 2015)

The Adult Day Center, Winchester, VA

  • Music Therapy Practicum Student (Spring 2015)

GreenSpring International Academy of Music, Richmond, VA

  • Harp Therapy Volunteer, Boys and Girls Club Mentor, and Harp Ensemble Educator (Fall 2015-2017)

A colorful collage of the first slide pages of 9 out of the 12-week course on geek culture. Sections include titles like 'Intro to Geek Culture,' 'Engage with Geek Culture,' 'Video Games and Psychotherapy'. The pages are retro video game themed.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

  • Adjunct Professor 2023, Lesley University, Lesley’s College of Art & Design,   |  Cambridge, MA (2023)

  • Developed through Lesley’s Innovations Grant Award and taught the course “Geek, Gaming, and Therapy: Geek Culture in Wellness” within Lesley’s Game Design & Immersive Technologies department.

    • This special topics course explores the integration of geek culture in therapeutic and/or wellness settings and practices.

    • Encouraged cross-disciplinary engagement across expressive arts, psychology, and education departments.

  • Research Consultant 2025, Northeastern University  |  Boston, MA

    • Contributing expert consultation to interdisciplinary research projects at the intersection of expressive therapies and technology.

  • Music Therapy Supervisor — Field Service Project Spring 2018; Spring 2019 |  Portland, Jamaica

    • Supervised undergraduate and graduate music therapy students providing services to adults at a homeless and rehabilitation shelter, residents at Portland's infirmary, and children with special needs.

PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH

  • Bryan, C. (2024). GG! We Play Well Together: Integrating the Practices of Expressive Therapies and Geek Therapy. In Bean, A. (Ed.), The Clinician's Guide To Geek Therapy: 2nd Edition. Leyline Publishing. Fort Worth, TX.

  • Bryan, C (2022). "How Geek Therapy Plays Into Expressive Arts Therapy: A Literature Review" (2022). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 622.https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/622

  • Key Personnel & Co-Author — NIH Grant Proposal 2024. Northeastern University  |  GhostLab, Dept. of Art + Design, CAMD  |  Boston, MA

    • Co-authoring an NIH grant proposal titled "Expressive Therapies, Health, and Non-rigid Interfaces" in collaboration with Dr. Giovanni Maria Troiano, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor and Co-Director of GhostLab.

  • Music Therapy Research Contributor — PAL System Grant Study 2020 – 2021. Children's Hospital Los Angeles — Level 4 NICU  |  Los Angeles, CA

    • Administered and collected data for grant-funded research examining the Pacifier Activated Lullaby (PAL) music therapy device in support of neonatal non-nutritive sucking and neurodevelopment.

    • Contributed to interdisciplinary research team within a Level 4 critical care environment.

Pixelated graphic of a game controller with text 'IGAME 3888 GEEK, GAMING, AND THERAPY' on a green background.
Flyer for Children's Hospital Los Angeles' event titled 'Music Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy in the NICCU setting,' presented by Caroline Bryan, highlighting the event details, including date, time, and virtual link.

PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

  • Presenter, “Geek Culture in Wellness,” Lesley University Community of Scholars Conference (2023)

  • Panelist, “Murder, Murder Everywhere: Why Are Kids Bloodthirsty When Gaming? And Should We Care?” PAX East. Boston, MA (2023)

  • Panelist, “Pulling Back the Curtain on Geek and Gaming Research,” TAGGS Summit (2022)

  • Presenter, “How Geek Therapy Plays Well with Expressive Arts Therapy”, Lesley University Community of Scholars Conference (2022)

  • Presenter, “Music Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy in the NICCU Setting”, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (2021)

  • Co-organizer, Hospital Self-Care Fair for Mental Health Awareness Month at Parham Doctors Hospital. Henrico, VA. (2019)

  • Presenter, “Music Therapy in the Medical Setting”, Professional Development Presentation at Parham Doctors Hospital. Henrico, VA. (2018)

  • Presenter, “Harps in Music Therapy”, Virginia Music Therapy Association Spring Meeting. Williamsburg, VA. (2017)

City skyline with tall buildings over a river, with a bridge in the foreground, overlaid with a semi-transparent Jamaican flag.

BOARD SERVICE, NONPROFIT FORMATION, & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 

Administrative Officer — Honorary Jamaican Consulate of Richmond, VA  |  2026 – Present

•     Founded Angelaire Sanctuary, a nonprofit with the mission: "A Multicultural Hearth for Youth of the Past, Present, and Future," focused on cultural identity, music and performance, community wellness, and community arts and educational programming.

•     Providing administrative operations support to the Honorary Jamaican Consulate of Richmond, Virginia, while building culturally affirming programming, acting as a liaison between the consulate and the global Jamaican Diaspora community, and developing grant funding strategies.

Board Member — Greensprings HARPS Foundation  |  2026 – Present

•     Contribute strategic oversight and clinical expertise to a foundation supporting therapeutic music programming.