Music Therapy 

 

Music therapy is a form of arts psychotherapy which uses music as well as verbal interaction as a medium for expressing and exploring the emotions and stories we have about ourselves and others. 

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Music therapy uses music making, improvising, songs and psychotherapeutic dialogue to help children to explore their experience and work around conscious and unconscious behaviours.

 

The Holmewood Schoool uses a child-centred approach. This allows the child to create the direction for therapy by exploring whatever issues they bring to the sessions. Children may benefit from a number of musical techniques which allow them to feel listened to, held and sometimes challenged within the music itself. Less verbal children may develop more linguistic ability as their emotional awareness develops. Children can develop both emotionally and cognitively as a result of successful music therapy, the goal being the overall holistic wellbeing of the child. Improved academic performance may follow as a result but is not the focus of sessions.

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Issues we may work with can include self esteem, isolation, friendship, moving through puberty, communication skills, motor skills, challenging behaviour and developing healthy emotional expression.

 

Our music therapist currently works one day a week at the Holmewood school and is a Tutor and Supervisor in the music therapy department at the guildhall school of music and drama.