A Tyler therapist certified in several healing modalities is using sound therapy to help others after the tragic loss of her son.
Tina Knight Schmidtke started her business Texas Gong & Wellness in November of 2018 following his death.
“I started my business because my only son who was a veteran Army soldier took the very life I gave him at barely 26 years old,” Schmidtke said. “It is my lifetime mission to lower the stress levels and suicide numbers by helping people truly distress through sound therapy.”
Schmidtke said she came across sound therapy while searching for her own healing tools to help cope with her grief.
“At a time where I just wanted to die over my son’s suicide, I went to a studio where someone was playing live gong and a couple other instruments but it was the sound of the symphonic gong particularly that snatched my attention and brought me to that calm and peaceful place I thought I’d never feel again,” she said.
Schmidtke said the feeling was so powerful it set her on a mission to learning the technique herself in an effort to help others.
“I knew that if I could feel that kind of peace after the losses I’ve been through, then so can others when they are stressed,” she said. “I had to play for myself to continue that peaceful feeling and healing and also play for others so they can get some peace when they are going through traumas and stress as well.”
Schmidtke explained that sound meditation as a therapeutic tool, particularly gongs, put brain waves from a Beta, or waking state, to a Theta and Delta state, which is deep meditation.
“The sounds and vibrations of the healing instruments create a deep relaxation and state of mind by altering brain waves,” she said. “This is exactly why gong and sound meditation is perfect for people who have a hard time relaxing or meditating.”
“You lay there comfortably on your mat with a pillow and blanket and the sounds just make you relax. It’s absolutely incredible,” Schmidtke added.
Schmidtke said there is a lot of misconception regarding sound therapy and advises people to read about the science behind the modality.
“There is a huge difference between going out and buying a gong, drum, a few singing bowls and charging people and being an actual trained sound therapist,” she said.
Schmidtke holds group sessions at Tyler Kung Fu & Fitness playing during Tai Chi classes and at other healing arts and wellness studios such as yoga all around East Texas.
Schmidtke travels for both private and group sessions for sound meditation therapy as well as other healing modalities.
Schmidtke said she wants people to know there are alternatives to spending lots of money on therapy and healing.
“They don’t have to ‘suck it up’ and store trauma and stress because they don’t want to spend hundreds and thousands,” she said. “You can get amazing results just listening to the therapeutic sounds of gong meditation and various other unique healing instruments such as Native American Flute, Didgeridoo, Frame drum, Hammered Dulcimer, and much more.”
For more information, visit the Texas Gong & Wellness Facebook page.