Allison Thomas, MBA, MT-BC

Allison is the founder and owner of Mainstay Music Therapy, Inc., a thriving creative arts (music) therapy private practice she has led since 2011. With a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), she has scaled Mainstay from a solo provider to a multi-location team with over 500 individuals served weekly, a 2,500+ square foot clinic, and a current staff of 21+ board-certified music therapists. Mainstay is a recognized AMTA National Roster Internship site and operates the largest music therapy team in Northern Indiana, providing a model for sustainable private practice growth, hiring, and clinical team management.

Allison offers expert consulting for private practice owners, solo providers, and growing teams. Her areas of expertise include navigating contractor vs. employee classification, developing custom business forms and policies, guiding business startup and entity formation, and building strong financial systems for small businesses. She supports practices in budgeting and bookkeeping, setting up employee benefits, creating job descriptions, and streamlining hiring and onboarding processes. Allison also provides strategy around marketing for private practices, delegation and team management, and scalable business growth. Her approach emphasizes sustainable operations and systems development to support long-term success.