Carried Sound / The Carried Sound Method
Practitioner Training · Sound Healing Certification · Kansas City

Learn to use sound
in your existing practice.
The right way.

You already know how to hold space. You work with bodies, nervous systems, and the parts of people that don't have language. You've felt the gap — the moment where something deeper is needed and you don't have the tool for it.

The Carried Sound Method teaches wellness professionals how to integrate sound into their existing 1:1, couples, or small group practice — not as a performance, but as a container.

Self-paced
$297
6 modules
Certificate included
Format
Self-paced
Start when you're ready
Certificate
Holistic Sound Facilitator
Upon completion
Who it's for
Wellness professionals
Adding sound to existing practice
Status
Waitlist open
Summer 2026 launch
The gap

You know how to hold space.
You don't know what to do with sound.

Most wellness professionals who want to add sound to their practice run into the same wall. They buy a singing bowl. They watch YouTube. They try it in a session and it feels disconnected — like a prop, not a practice.

That's not a failure of skill. It's a failure of framework. Nobody taught them how sound actually works in a therapeutic container, how to read the room and respond, how to choose instruments for a nervous system state instead of aesthetic preference.

The Carried Sound Method exists because that gap is real — and because the wellness professionals who learn to bridge it find that sound becomes one of the most powerful tools in their entire practice.

01
You have instruments but no framework

A bowl is just an object without a method behind it. This course gives you the clinical and intuitive framework to use it intentionally.

02
You don't know how to read the room with sound

Sound selection isn't about mood — it's about nervous system state. You'll learn to assess and respond in real time.

03
Nobody taught you how to hold a sound container

The instruments are 20% of the work. Voice, movement, presence, and container-holding are the other 80%. That's what this course actually teaches.

04
You're not sure how to integrate it ethically

Sound in a therapeutic setting carries real responsibility. You'll leave knowing exactly how to use it safely, appropriately, and within scope.

The course

A practitioner training built for
the space between sessions.

The Carried Sound Method is a self-paced practitioner training designed for wellness professionals who want to integrate sound into their existing work — not start a new career as a sound healer.

This is not a large group sound bath facilitation course. It's not about performing for a room of forty people. It's about what happens in your treatment room, your therapy office, your yoga studio, your coaching space — when you add intentional sound to the work you already do.

Six modules. Real framework. Practical application from day one. You'll finish with a method you can use immediately and a certificate you can stand behind.

"The instruments are 20% of the work. Voice, movement, presence, and the ability to hold a container — that's the other 80%. That's what this course actually teaches."

Format
Self-paced online course
Video lessons, written guides, practice assignments — work through it on your own schedule
Investment
$297 one-time
Lifetime access to all course materials and future updates
Certificate
Holistic Sound Facilitator
Awarded upon completion of all six modules and final practice submission
Launch
Summer 2026
Waitlist members get early access and founding member pricing
This course is not
  • A large group sound bath facilitation program
  • A course about which bowls to buy
  • A performance training or music program
  • A replacement for your existing clinical training
The curriculum

Six modules. A complete method.

Each module builds on the last — from the science of sound to the art of holding a container. You'll finish with a practice you can use immediately.

01
Foundation
What Sound Actually Does

The science and physiology behind sound healing — why it works, what's happening in the body and nervous system, and how to explain it to clients without losing them.

Resonance, frequency, and entrainment
How sound affects the autonomic nervous system
The evidence base for sound in wellness contexts
How to talk about sound with clients
02
Framework
Nervous System States + Sound Selection

The polyvagal-informed framework at the heart of the method. Learn to read nervous system states and select instruments accordingly — in real time, in the room.

Simplified polyvagal framework for practitioners
Reading the room: sympathetic, dorsal, ventral states
Instrument mapping by nervous system state
Real-time assessment and response
03
Instruments
Selection, Tuning & Compatibility

What to buy, what to avoid, how to layer instruments without creating conflict, and how to build a starter kit that works for your specific practice context.

Core instruments for 1:1 and small group work
432Hz vs 440Hz — what actually matters
Layering and compatibility across instrument families
Building your kit on any budget
04
Integration
Sound in the Treatment Room

How to weave sound into your existing sessions — when to introduce it, how to pace it, how to use it as an opener, a deepener, or a closing practice.

Sound as opener, deepener, and closer
Pacing and session arc with sound woven in
Working with resistance and unexpected responses
Scope of practice and ethical integration
05
Practice
Building Your Sound Menu

Design your personal sound menu — a practical reference you'll actually use in sessions. Customized to your instruments, your clients, and your practice modality.

Creating instrument sequences for common client states
Adapting sound for 1:1, couples, and small groups
Building flexibility into your practice
Your personal sound menu template
06
Certification
Practice & Certification

Put it all together. Submit your practice sessions, receive feedback, and earn your Holistic Sound Facilitator certificate — ready to use with clients immediately.

Guided practice session structure
Self-assessment and peer review framework
Final submission and feedback
Certificate: Holistic Sound Facilitator
Who it's for

Built for practitioners
who already know how to hold space.

This course assumes you already have a practice. You work with people in some kind of therapeutic, somatic, or wellness context. You're not starting from zero — you're adding a powerful new tool to work you already do well.

Bodywork
Massage Therapists & Somatic Practitioners

You already work with the body directly. Sound extends your reach — it shifts the nervous system before you touch, deepens release during bodywork, and integrates afterward in a way nothing else does.

Movement
Yoga Teachers & Movement Facilitators

You understand breath, presence, and the arc of a session. Sound gives your savasana a depth it can't reach with silence alone — and gives your small group classes a signature experience nobody else is offering.

Skin & Aesthetics
Holistic Estheticians & Skin Therapists

The treatment room is already a container. Sound deepens the relaxation response, supports lymphatic flow, and turns a facial into a full nervous system reset — a service no one else in your market is offering.

Mental Health
Therapists & Counselors

Used carefully and within scope, sound can open sessions, ease transitions, and support regulation in ways that language alone cannot. This course covers ethical integration thoroughly.

Coaching
Wellness Coaches & Integrative Practitioners

You work with the whole person. Sound gives you a somatic anchor for your sessions — something that lands in the body and creates the kind of shift your clients can feel, not just understand.

Ayurveda & Energy Work
Ayurvedic Practitioners & Energy Workers

Sound has deep roots in Ayurvedic and energetic traditions. This course bridges ancient understanding with practical, modern application — a framework that honors both lineages without requiring you to choose.

This course is a great fit if
  • You have an existing practice with real clients
  • You're curious about sound but don't know where to start
  • You've tried using a bowl and it felt disconnected
  • You want a method, not just a YouTube tutorial
  • You want to differentiate your practice in a crowded market
This course is not the right fit if
  • You want to facilitate large public sound baths
  • You have no existing wellness or therapeutic practice
  • You're looking for a music or performance training
  • You want a quick certification with no real application
What makes it different

Most sound courses teach instruments.
This one teaches presence.

There are plenty of sound healing courses that will teach you which bowls to buy, how to hold a mallet, and what frequencies correspond to which chakras. Some of them are genuinely useful.

What almost none of them teach is what happens in the room between the sound. The quality of your silence. The way you move through a space. The capacity to stay fully present with another person's process without fixing, directing, or performing.

That's the work. And it's the work that determines whether sound becomes a profound tool in your practice or stays a prop you bring out occasionally and hope for the best.

The Carried Sound Method was built from twenty years of hands-on practice across bodywork, Ayurveda, yoga, esthetics, and sound healing. It teaches the whole thing — not just the instruments.

"I've taken other sound courses. They taught me what to play. Joann taught me how to be in the room while I play it. That's a completely different education."

Wellness practitioner · Portland, OR
Pillar 01
Nervous system first

Every instrument choice, every session arc, every transition is grounded in polyvagal-informed nervous system awareness. You'll never guess what to play again.

Pillar 02
Presence over performance

The quality of your attention shapes the session more than the quality of your instruments. This course trains both — and is honest about which one matters more.

Pillar 03
Integration not addition

Sound isn't a thing you add to your sessions. Done well, it becomes inseparable from the way you work. This course teaches integration — not layering one more thing onto an already full practice.

Pillar 04
Built by a working practitioner

Joann holds sessions every week. The Carried Sound Method isn't theoretical — it's the exact framework she uses in her own practice, taught in a way that transfers to yours.

Your instructor

Joann Schermerhorn.
Twenty years in the room.

Joann Schermerhorn is a sound healing practitioner, Ayurvedic health counselor, licensed esthetician, yoga teacher, herbalist, and the founder of Carried Sound in Overland Park, Kansas.

She didn't come to sound healing as a musician. She came to it as a practitioner — someone who had spent two decades working with bodies, nervous systems, and the parts of people that don't have language. Sound was the missing piece that made everything else land differently.

The Carried Sound Method is the distillation of what she's learned across twenty years of hands-on practice — what works, what doesn't, and what actually makes the difference between a sound bath that's pleasant and one that changes something.

She holds open sessions every Wednesday in Overland Park, works with private clients and corporate teams across the KC metro, and has trained with ISTA as a certified therapeutic sound practitioner. She teaches the way she works — with precision, presence, and no unnecessary mysticism.

2025 / 2026
ISTA Certified Therapeutic Sound Practitioner
2021
Ayurvedic Health Counselor + Panchakarma
2019
Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage
2014
Holistic Esthetician
2013
Yoga RYT 200
2011
Licensed Esthetician
2009
Herbalist
2006
Permaculture Design
Photo of Joann
Questions

Everything you're wondering
before you commit.

Do I need to own instruments before enrolling?

No. Module 3 covers exactly what to buy, what to avoid, and how to build a starter kit on any budget. You'll know what you need before you spend a dollar.

I'm not musical. Is this course still for me?

Yes. The Carried Sound Method is not a music course. It doesn't require any musical background, training, or ability to read music. It's a practitioner training — and your existing skills as a wellness professional are far more relevant than musical talent.

How is this different from other sound healing certifications?

Most sound courses focus on instruments, frequencies, and facilitation of large group sound baths. The Carried Sound Method focuses on nervous system-informed integration of sound into existing 1:1 and small group practice — a completely different context that requires a different framework.

What does the Holistic Sound Facilitator certificate mean?

It's a certificate of completion issued by Carried Sound upon finishing all six modules and submitting your final practice session. It demonstrates competency in the Carried Sound Method framework and is designed to support your professional credibility with clients.

Is this course approved for continuing education hours?

CE approval varies by licensing board and profession. We are working toward approval with select boards for the summer 2026 launch. Join the waitlist to be notified as approvals are confirmed.

What's the time commitment?

The course is self-paced with lifetime access. Most practitioners complete all six modules in four to six weeks working at their own pace. Practice assignments are built into the course and designed to happen with real clients.

When does the course open?

The Carried Sound Method launches summer 2026. Waitlist members get first access and founding member pricing — which will be lower than the standard enrollment price.

What if I'm not sure this is right for my practice?

Join the waitlist — there's no obligation. You'll get early access to preview content before the course opens so you can make a fully informed decision before enrolling.

Join the waitlist

Be first in the room
when the doors open.

The Carried Sound Method opens summer 2026. Waitlist members get early access, founding member pricing, and first look at preview content before enrollment opens to the public.

No obligation. Just your spot at the front of the line.

Early access. Waitlist members enroll before the public.
Founding member pricing. Lower than the standard enrollment price — locked in for life.
Preview content. A free lesson from the course before you decide.
No pressure. Joining the waitlist doesn't commit you to anything.
Waitlist signup

For wellness professionals ready to add sound to their practice.