Music Therapy Wellness

01/05/2021

Having a blast at the Source Kids disability expo today in Melbourne!! 💕 Lots of fabulous young peeps and their parents/carers joined in the musical fun with me at 1:30pm. I’ll be there again tomorrow so please come and say hello (and sing a tune) if you’re attending. It’s free and there are heaps of resources/services to check out!

15/06/2020

Restrictions are easing but Telehealth is continuing for clients, especially those at higher risk. Clever little Tarman loves music which makes MT an ideal setting to work on her communication & motor skills. She is vision impaired & has a severe/complex neurological impairment.

Lifting her arm to strike the drum takes a huge amount of effort, as does preparing her body & voice to make sounds & sing. Tarman‘s love of making music helps her feel motivated to participate- it’s fun and she wants to be part of it! It’s been wonderful to witness the progress Tarman has made during her twice weekly sessions. What a superstar🌟 Huge thanks to her lovely family who allowed me to capture this & share with you all. We hope it makes you smile as big as Tarman ☺️🎤💕

15/04/2020

It’s not just my younger clients who have impressed with their transition to Telehealth! Helen is in her 90’s and has been in lockdown for several weeks (required to spend most of her time in her room). When I mentioned online sessions, her loving family sprang into action to get an iPad & test it out both for MT & for skyping her themselves. Helen has adapted very well as you can see (despite sometimes asking if I’d like a cup of tea) ☺️ Singing is beneficial for mental health, improving mood & decreasing agitation. It also provides an opportunity for meaningful connections to be made & maintained. Huge thanks to Helen’s caring daughters & family for allowing me to share some special moments from today’s session💕🎶

11/04/2020

Some things never change (even though other things are very different at the moment). Telehealth doesn’t work for everyone but I’m still able to see many clients & families for their Music Therapy sessions and couldn’t be more grateful! I watched Frozen 2 last night & was inspired to write a little parody for them🎶😊

25/03/2020

Can online music therapy work..? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Gorgeous little Luka answers this question & is a star again thanks to his wonderful Mum Heidi being so proactive capturing moments & being willing to share! I’m so grateful because I think it will help others understand what Telehealth Music Therapy is and how it can work. It’s also nice to share something so positive at such a challenging time in all our lives. I’ve been blown away with how well online sessions have been received by kids, teens & adults so far. It helps that most people are already very familiar with screen interactions! Hopefully this helps if you have been offered a Telehealth service and feel unsure about whether or not to give it a try🌟🎵🌟 Sarah Punch

23/03/2020

I never thought the day would come where I’d be embracing Telehealth but here we are! Social isolation & protecting immune vulnerable clients is my priority, but the way I work is very hands on and interactive. Can MT be delivered in an online format..? Yes it can! I’m excited to adapt and work in a different way. Online Music Therapy is happening!! I am incredibly grateful to my clients who have shown how highly they value the service through their willingness to give this new approach a try (provided they're able to). I definitely feel the love & support 💕🎵 Instrument & Resource Packs are ready for delivery tomorrow and the rest will happen online

22/03/2020

Through music therapy, Luka learned to say his first word in context which was a huge achievement! Finding joy in this short drumming activity helped motivate Luka to request ‘more’ to have it repeated. Now he asks for more food, more drink, more cuddles etc! You can also hear him vocalising ‘Ahhhhh’- really finding his voice. Luka has Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) so is experiencing & exploring the world in a unique way. Music therapy provides a safe, contained and fun environment to learn & practice the tricky stuff. I hope this puts a smile on your face at this challenging time. Luka’s gorgeous and dedicated Mum Heidi has actually written a blog post about her experience of music therapy. Link below if you'd like to have a read or to access CVI resources. Huge thanks to Luka & his family for allowing me to share this🎵💕 https://www.cvicommunityaus.net/blog-1

18/02/2020

I had such a great time being interviewed yesterday for the fabulous Small Talking Kids podcast. These kids blew me away with how professional, confident and intelligent they were. So impressive! It’s a fabulous family-friendly podcast that covers a range of important topics for both kids & their parents. Def check it out!


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Who says don’t work with kids or animals?! Here we are having a ball learning about Music in Schools and Music Therapy in one of our interviews for Series 2.
With and

23/07/2019

Last call for Connor’s Run registrations!! Only 93 places left & they’ll go quick. This cause is so dear to me. I’ve seen WAY too many incredible kids & young people be taken by this horrible disease. Brain cancer just SUCKS!!! Have fun at this run (or walk😉) & know you’re donating to a very special & worthy cause 💗 x

11/07/2019

LOVED you before this Ed Sheeran & Sam Smith, but donating to help reach more people makes us love you even more!! 🎶 💓

Fantastic news from Nordoff Robbins in the UK with two BIG names in the music industry donating some serious money to support the provision of to those who need it. Nice work Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith - thank you for your support!

29/06/2019

Singing is good for you- & costs nothing 🎶 💗🎶

A GP has called for fellow doctors to prescribe singing as an alternative to medicine. Dr Simon Opher said he sees patients less often if they join a singing group or a choir because singing has a wide range of health and social benefits. Music therapy has already been used successfully in care home...