Lunch & Learn: Piedmont Music Therapy
September 16, 2025 | Palmetto Counseling in Rock Hill, SC
Palmetto Counseling welcomed Gretchen Benner, MSW, Board-Certified Music Therapist, Founder and Executive Director of Piedmont Music Therapy, for a Lunch & Learn exploring the role that music therapy can play in supporting mental health, emotional expression, social connection, and overall well-being.
Exploring the Power of Music Therapy
Piedmont Music Therapy (PMT) is a nonprofit organization serving children and adults of all abilities throughout the Charlotte metro area. Its team of board-certified music therapists uses evidence-based music therapy interventions to help individuals work toward personalized therapeutic goals.
During the Lunch & Learn, Gretchen introduced the Palmetto team to PMT’s work and shared ways music can be used therapeutically to support people of different ages and abilities.
Music therapy can address a variety of therapeutic goals. PMT’s resources for mental health care, for example, identify areas including improving mood, developing healthy coping skills, promoting self-expression, reducing muscle tension, and supporting self-esteem.
Learning Together to Better Serve Our Clients
Palmetto’s Lunch & Learn series gives our therapists an opportunity to learn from professionals and organizations offering services that complement traditional mental health counseling.
Learning more about resources such as PMT helps our team better understand the range of support available within our community and identify additional resources that may benefit the individuals and families we serve.
We’re grateful to Gretchen for sharing her time, expertise, and passion with our team and for giving us a closer look at the work PMT is doing throughout our community.
“We truly enjoyed having Gretchen join us for our Lunch & Learn and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the wonderful work being done at Piedmont Music Therapy. Her presentation highlighted how music can be a powerful tool for emotional expression, connection, stress reduction, and overall well-being. At Palmetto Counseling, we believe that caring for our community means working together, sharing knowledge, and connecting individuals and families with resources that best meet their unique needs. Learning more about music therapy broadened our perspective on the many ways we can support our clients’ healing and growth. We’re grateful to Gretchen for sharing her knowledge and to community partners like Piedmont Music Therapy who help us make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve!” –Rich
About Piedmont Music Therapy
Piedmont Music Therapy provides individual and group music therapy treatment, studio lessons and private instruction, educational programs, and customized programming in the Charlotte metro area. Its mission is to engage, empower, and accompany individuals as they work toward their goals through music therapy and social work.
Learn More: Piedmont Music Therapy website
Let’s Learn From Each Other
Does your organization have something amazing to share with the therapists at Palmetto Counseling? We’d love to learn more and possibly invite you to be a guest speaker at one of our upcoming Lunch & Learns. Please fill out our questionnaire, and we will be in touch.