Déise Music Therapy
Déise Music Therapy provides professional music therapy services to to a diverse range of people, from neonates to older adults, who are seeking support for a wide variety of reasons. These include stress, autism, intellectual and physical disability, cancer support, domestic violence, trauma, abuse, gender issues, acquired brain injury, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's Disease and end of life care.
Déise Music Therapy offers individual and group music therapy and MIRE (Music Imagery for Resilience and Emotional Regulation), and also runs Healthy Harmonies, a weekly therapeutic choir.
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is an established therapeutic treatment that uses the qualities of music that reach all of us (rhythm, melody, harmony, tone etc.) to enable people to reach their full potential within a safe, supportive and focussed clinical setting.
Music has a powerful effect on our bodies and minds: it can alter our breathing pattern and heart-rate and can be relaxing or energising, it can bring strength and fluidity to physical movement, reduce perception of pain, orientate people in time and space, organise thoughts and help cognitive development, improve and access memory, provide a vital means of relating to others, and enable expression of feelings through improvised music making and singing.
In sessions we work towards specific therapeutic goals using the medium of music. These goals could be developmental (for example improving physical or cognitive ability, or developing speech), emotional (improving wellbeing, building self-esteem, working on emotional regulation or healing from trauma) or social (connecting, bettering social skills or dealing with adverse situations).
In a music therapy session, we use music to connect, communicate and alleviate distress to allow for positive change. Music can be particularly useful for people who cannot communicate using spoken language, or who find that words simply aren’t enough.
A music therapist is someone who has trained to Masters Level in how to use the elements of music therapeutically to provide a specific combination of improvised or pre-composed instrumental music and voice for each client.
What Happens in a Music Therapy Session?
There is a wide range of accessible instruments available including a piano, keyboard guitar, microphone, wind instruments, violin and sound therapy instruments as well as tuned and untuned percussion from around the world. Clients are encouraged to explore and improvise using the instruments available if they feel ready to do so.
I may join in their music-making, co-improvising with them as a supportive listener and responder, but the music is usually led by the client. Some people are comfortable with using words and their sessions can be a mix of verbal and music therapy. Clients might also want to just listen to music, or write a song to express what is going on for them.
You do not need to be able to play an instrument or have a 'good voice' in order to engage with music therapy. It is not about learning musical skills or performing, but rather about achieving non-musical goals, exploring emotions and communicating through the medium of music.
Sessions are regular, safe and confidential, in a therapeutic and undisturbed space. My small rescue dog Jack will sometimes join our sessions and can be an important part of therapy for some clients.
Who Can Benefit from Music Therapy?
We all respond to music, even before we are born: the ability to access the power of music is universal and therefore everyone can benefit from music therapy sessions: adults, families and groups. Some of the population groups that access music therapy are listed below:
Some people may find that they are unable to talk about what is going on in their lives, but still have a need to connect with others, sort out their thoughts and find emotional release and growth. Music is a powerful way of letting out difficult feelings. It can energise or calm us; make us feel joyful and playful; or express our sadness, fear and anger.
Intellectual Disability
Autism
For people with additional needs, music therapy provides an accessible way for them to develop and maintain physical, cognitive and social skills, make positive connections and find ways to grow emotionally.
Musical interaction mirrors pre-verbal communication and so music therapy can help the development of language through vocalising and rhythmic play. Often children will sing before they speak.
Musical structures are deeply imbedded in the brain and so learning through music cements information and increases recall.
Music therapy allows people with autism to engage in a non-threatening way of interacting, communicating, identifying and expressing feelings.
The patterns and structures in music provide safety and predictability within which people can explore new ways of relating. Musical interaction can be non direct and playful which reduces feelings of overload.
Emotional expressions and states can be explored musically, helping people with autism to identify feelings in themselves and others.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Neurological Conditions
Music has an immediate effect on our emotional state and, often without even realising it, we choose to listen to music that either matches our mood, or helps to change it. Music therapy can reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation. Connecting through music with a therapist can provide a feeling of safety and an experience of being heard, leading to valuable insights into thought patterns and increased self-awareness and self-compassion.
Both individual and group sessions can help people to improve their confidence, and provide a chance to explore new ways of interacting with others.
People who have experienced trauma in their lives may struggle to put their experiences into words. Music therapy can provide a gentle, non-direct way to explore their response to events and to help them to find healing and the resources that allow them to embrace growth and resilience.
For people living with conditions such as dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease or acquired brain injury, music therapy can be an important tool in maintaining or rehabilitating cognitive and physical skills. Musical memories and patterns are deeply embedded in the brain, and often remain intact when other connections and abilities are affected by neurological decline or injury.
As music simultaneously activates multiple parts of the brain, engaging in music therapy has been shown to grow 'grey matter', increasing neural pathways, embedding information and accessing memories,
Musical elements such as rhythm help the body to organise itself and music therapy can be usefully applied to maintain or regain fluidity and strength of movement.
About Me
I gained my Masters in Music Therapy in Cambridge in 1997 and have been working as a clinical music therapist for almost 30 years in the fields of intellectual disabilities, autism, mental health, abuse, acquired brain injury, stroke, aphasia, Parkinson’s Disease, trauma, bereavement, neurological disorders, dementia and palliative care.
I have a wheelchair accessible clinic overlooking the sea at my home near Tramore, where I see clients of all ages. I also provide music therapy and training to nursing homes, schools, day centres, family support centres and other establishments.
