She beams and envelops me in a giant hug. Today I caught up with her to find out more about her new practice. So what is music therapy? According to the World Federation of Music Therapy, it involves using musical elements such as sound, rhythm, melody and harmony, to facilitate and promote communication, relationships, learning, mobilisation, expression and organisation in order to meet emotional, mental social and cognitive needs of the client.
It can be used for prevention, rehabilitation or treatment. Every session is different, but might include singing, listening, songwriting, percussion instruments, creative play, talking about emotions She lights up when she describes her work of 3. We know about the links between music and memory, and the power of music to soothe anxiety.
I didn't know much about the practice of music therapy but in researching for this blog I discovered just how many applications where it's been successfully used - including in scientifically proven trials. As a psychologist I'm always interested in a discipline's evidence-base, so forgive the geeky research! Or if you need some extra self-care heading into winter β go see her at her Sunnynook clinic for a massage. You can find her Facebook page here , and her Linkedin page here.
And if you're interested in Vocal Psychotherapy - she's organising an international practitioner to deliver a two-day workshop in NZ this August. More info on that here.
