Sally Cooper music therapy

09/01/2026

You can pick up an instrument or learn to sing at any age. Here are some helpful tips from experts and ABC Classic audience members to get you started.

14/12/2025

From boosting the brain to reducing pain, joining others in song can bring some wide-ranging benefits.

03/12/2025

17/11/2025

https://www.sallycoopersounds.com/post/vocal-toning-with-sally-finding-and-freeing-ease-of-vocal-expression

Vocal toning is a gentle and playful way to reconnect with yourself through simple sound. It’s not about singing performance. It’s about using your voice to create ease, soften tension, and let things move—and lighten up—including the emotional “stuff” that tends to get stuck in the body...

10/10/2025

Yesterday was world mental health day. & I thought this was well worth a listen.

Susan Davids talks in detail about using journaling with curiosity for emotional awareness. & Why rigid positivity can be toxic. (As opposed to emotional honesty, courage and emotional agility).

And supporting awareness about how we can act in support of our values instead of allowing our emotions to rule us.

(I have found that playing and writing music and songs can be a great way to support these life skills-at any stage of life or musical ability)

Psychologist Susan David shares how the way we deal with our emotions shapes everything that matters: our actions, careers, relationships, health and happine...

23/09/2025

I highly recommend this free self paced online course for family members and carers of people with dementia. Offered by university of Tasmania. The course has recently been updated with engaging material from people wth lived experience of the disease.

Discover the Power of Understanding Dementia - Transform the way you think about dementia with this free, world-class online course from the Wicking Dementia Centre. Whether youre a carer, health professional, or simply curious, this interactive course takes you deep into the brain to explore: the s...

08/09/2025

Authors of new study analyzed a dozen veterans to inform training of future counselors

31/05/2025

Good tips from Nordoff Robbins for those interested in songwriting. I can also help if you are interested. And can also support with freeing your singing voice & structuring chords for a song.
Www.sallycoopersounds.com

Songwriting is a great way to explore your creativity and express your emotions, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, our music therapist Jo has some tips to help you get started!

Whether it's taking inspiration from music you love, or drawing from your experiences and feelings, we hope you'll give songwriting a go.

Find more songwriting tips on our website: https://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/eight-songwriting-tips-from-a-music-therapist/

22/04/2025

The Independent Review of NDIS Funded Music and Art Supports, led by Dr Stephen Duckett, was finalised last week. The report has now been delivered to the National Disability Insurance Agency for consideration.

AMTA welcomes the NDIA's reiteration there have been no changes to the way music therapy is treated under the NDIS, which we hope will help alleviate some of the misunderstanding and anxiety in the disability and music therapy community.

The report is with the NDIA for its consideration, after which it will be published in full, with its response and updated guidance.

Read AMTA's full response on our website: https://www.austmta.org.au/news-item/19077/independent-review-delivers-report-to-ndia



📷 A registered music therapist helps a girl in a wheelchair to reach out for a guitar.

20/03/2025

The Support at Home program helps older people to live at home for as long as they wish and can do so safely. The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care expects around 1.4 million older people to access the program, which prioritises supported and independent ageing.

We're pleased to share that music therapy is listed in the Support at Home handbook’s services list as an allied health and other therapeutic service, under clinical support.

We're looking forward to sharing more about what this means for older Australians who access music therapy from home, as well as for our registered music therapists who work in aged care, as we approach the program's implementation in July.


📷 Cover: "Support at Home program handbook. Program details for 1 July 2025. Published December 2024. Version 1.4. 25 February 2025." Logo: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. An image of two smiling older people standing outside.

14/01/2025

Public Service Announcement

- Counsellors are counsellors.
- Support workers are support workers.
- Mentors are mentors.
- If you’ve studied for min. 5 years, earned a Master of Music Therapy, maintained annual professional development, followed a code of ethics, and paid your professional registration, you are a Music Therapist.

Let’s call this out:

People posing as music therapists when they’re not are damaging the profession and exploiting NDIS participants. This is a concern Minister Shorten has highlighted, as a disproportionate number of unqualified individuals are posing as clinicians.

If your ‘music therapist’ can’t or won’t produce evidence of being registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association:

Report them to the NDIS Commission:

- NDIS Fraud Reporting and Scams Helpline: 1800 650 717
- Email: fraudreporting@ndis.gov.au

The Australian Music Therapy Association is also able to help and escalate it on your behalf. Just email: professionaladvisor@austmta.org.au

Let’s protect the integrity of our profession and the rights of NDIS participants.

31/12/2024

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-30/music-and-play-connecting-generations-aged-care-home-children/104542266

Folks at a Warrnambool aged care home arrive early on Tuesdays for their weekly music sessions with kinder kids.