About Us
"Music is the medicine for the mind." - John A. Logan
Learn about our mission, our program, and the program's director..
Our Mission
The mission of Sound Minds USA is to promote human health and well being for all people who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), depression, schizophrenia, apathy, sleeping disorder, tinnitus, and addiction.
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With some cognitive impairments (notably PTSD), there is a physiological change in the brain. The amygdala (fear/emotions) and hippocampus (event memory) become desynchronized yielding confusion, depression, despair. This results in certain traumatic events not being fully processed (i.e. combat, rape, TBI, severe physical injury, severe psychological injury). Dr. Oliver Sachs states “Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music”.
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The dynamics at work between sound-music stimuli, and the brain’s inherent plasticity/adaptability, is of primary significance. Sound Minds USA has developed two treatment modules since 2008 through work with veterans, active military, abused spouses, addicts, rape victims, severe physical-injury victims, and severe mental-injury victims.
The two modules come from a multidisciplinary context with input from patients, neurologists, psychologists, composers, musicologists, performers, psychiatrists, internists, and therapists.
Our Program
These 90 minute sessions are intended for those with PTSD (Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder) who might benefit from a non-invasive session that aims to
engage both the subconscious and conscious mind through music. The
music is familiar (for memory associations) and unfamiliar (for non-
associative responses) and includes The Blues, Americana, Originals,
Classic Rock, and Classical.
We try to limit the number of participants to 25 for each session.
Meet the Director
Duke Thompson, DMA
Dr. Duke Thompson is the Executive Director of
Maryland Conservatory of Music and his own experience in 2007 that
included a near-death automobile accident is the reason that Sound Minds
USA exists today. Dr. Thompson suffered TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and
was diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Medical doctors
prescribed anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications for him, but Dr.
Thompson did not respond to them. As a way to express his difficult
emotional and cognitive struggles, Dr. Thompson began to compose. His
music was noticed by the CEO of the Ashley Recovery Center and they asked
him to share his music with the patients there. These sessions evolved
into a program called Music for the Inner Self and Dr. Thompson now offers
the program four times a week at recovery center, for the general public,
for veterans with PTSD at VA Hospital and for Women's Extended Care of
Ashley Recovery.
Dr. Thompson's music is highly regarded as thought provoking and
introspective as well as being dramatic and communicative with those in
attendance. Dr. Thompson has performed in Japan, Europe, and across
Canada, The United States. He has been featured on National Public Radio
in both Canada and The United States. Dr. Thompson holds his Doctor of
Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University. He also studied with
Nadia Boulanger in France and with Leon Fleisher at Peabody Conservatory
in Baltimore. Dr. Thompson has taught at colleges and universities in
Canada and The United States. In 2001, he founded Maryland Conservatory
of Music, where he currently serves as Director. Dr. Thompson combines
his role at Maryland Conservatory of Music with his program, Music for the
Inner Self, and his solo performance career.