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REHABILITATION

Mesa therapist, ASU grad uses music to help with healing at Arizona State Hospital

Posted 10/26/22

Mario Enciso saw his future each day driving from a downtown Phoenix apartment to classes at Arizona State University.

He had just moved to Arizona from San Diego in 2011, and his trip to ASU to …

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REHABILITATION

Mesa therapist, ASU grad uses music to help with healing at Arizona State Hospital

Posted

Mario Enciso saw his future each day driving from a downtown Phoenix apartment to classes at Arizona State University.

He had just moved to Arizona from San Diego in 2011, and his trip to ASU to take master’s level classes in music therapy at ASU took him past the Arizona State Hospital.

“I chose to live downtown because it was central,” he said. “On my daily trips to class I’d drive by the state hospital and think, ‘I’m going to work there.’” 

Two years later, he did.

After working for a nonprofit organization that provided music therapy to teens and young adults, he joined Arizona State Hospital in 2013 as a recreation therapist.

He worked on the rehab team in the Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center, which assists those with a history of sexual offenses.

In 2016, he was named manager of the ACPTC rehab department, giving him, he said, an opportunity to lead the department into “a positive force to help residents succeed in all areas of life.”

Music therapy has been shown to have many treatment benefits for a variety of mental health conditions, including trauma, anxiety and schizophrenia, according to a release from the hospital.

“Music can act as a medium for processing the patient’s emotions, trauma or grief. It also can be helpful in regulating anxiety, improving heart rate and stimulating the brain,” the release stated.

Enciso said music therapy can be a tool for fostering motivation and positive change in patients. 

Becoming a music therapist requires more than playing a musical instrument, according to the release.

A degree in music therapy requires proficiency in guitar, piano, voice, music theory, music history, reading music and improvisation, as well as skill in assessment, documentation and other counseling and health care skills, the release stated, adding therapy students must complete a six-month internship and pass a certification exam in music therapy.

Enciso said he has found his dual roles as therapist and leader rewarding. 

“I think it’s helped me grow in ways I never could have imagined,” he said.

“While I still enjoy facilitating music therapy groups, most of my focus now revolves around my team and ensuring they love what they do so that they may continue helping our residents succeed.”

The Arizona State Hospital will conduct a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 501 N. 24th St., Phoenix. Career opportunities are available for nurses, psychologists, rehabilitation therapists, social workers and behavioral health technicians among other opportunities, according to the release. Walk-in interviews are available.

Editor’s note: This information was provided by Mike Sheldon, chief executive officer of the Arizona State Hospital and a deputy director with the Arizona Department of Health Services.