Spotlight on Music and Arts Therapy

How long have you been at Alder Hey?

I have been working at Alder Hey for 11 years and during this time we have built up a small but perfectly formed Arts Therapies Team! We specialise in working with children who are struggling with their emotional wellbeing due to their complex physical health needs. Often in these cases their thoughts and feelings can be too ‘big’ to be expressed through words alone. We make a real and positive difference to their treatment journeys by taking a targeted and creative therapeutic approach.

Can you describe a typical day?

No two days at Alder Hey are ever the same! My morning could start with a visit to our neuro-rehabilitation ward, working with a child recovering from a brain injury. Following this I might attend a multi-disciplinary meeting about a patient or join with a psychologist to do a ‘Wellbeing Ward Round’, offering ad-hoc support and advice to our families. In the afternoon, I could have a session with an outpatient who is in remission from cancer, perhaps using song writing to explore their thoughts and feelings. As part of my role, I am also involved in research and teaching, so I could round off my day by meeting with a colleague about a current project or by providing help and advice to one of our students.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Each child’s experience is unique and one of the nicest things about my job is when someone allows you into their world. Exploring complex emotions can be extremely challenging, but I love that there is always lots of laughter in the work I do with our children and families. It is lovely when you make even the smallest difference. Also, on a less serious level, I adore the weird and wonderful music that patients introduce me to along the way!

What is your vision/ambition for arts therapy at Alder Hey?

Currently, we are only able to support a limited number of medical specialties, so I would love to grow the art therapy ‘offer’ across Alder Hey. I lead the Paediatric Music Therapy Network for the British Association of Music Therapy, so I also want to continue to raise the profile of the amazing work we do across the north west and nationally.