60 NAPLES ILLUSTRATED
Faith, family, and music have always taken precedence in Natalie Gonzalez’s life. Although she wanted to
be a singer when she was little, she didn’t relish getting up on stage, so she sought other ways to share her
talents. “I learned I could use the thing I love so much and turn it into a career that helps transform people,”
says the South Carolina native.
In college, she studied music therapy, intrigued by how music interacts with the brain and the body. She
decided to pursue hospice care and moved to Naples in 2016 to work as a board-certified music therapist
with Avow Hospice. In her position, Gonzalez oversees complementary therapies and adult bereavement as
well as Avow Kids, a loss and grief support team. Today, she’s working toward a master’s degree in human ser-
vices counseling with an emphasis on marriage and family relationships to further expand her role.
Gonzalez initially lived on Florida’s east coast, where she met her husband, Miguel, a fellow music lover,
at church. She moved four weeks later but says, “He pursued me when I was really not sure how things were
going to turn out. We got married last September and are ‘sappy and happy,’ as we like to say.”
When not working or studying, Gonzalez attends Summit Church, where she serves as a backup vocal-
ist and keyboard player on the worship team and is involved in community service projects. She also enjoys
watching movies on the lawn at Mercato, fishing at the Naples Pier, and taking part in happy hour down-
town. Another passion for Gonzalez is supporting healthy lifestyles and longevity as part of the Blue Zones
Project, and she was instrumental in starting a Blue Zones task force at Avow.NATALIE GONZALEZ
Manager of Supportive Care, Avow Hospice, Naples