Music Therapy

Music is a wonderful way to bring comfort and joy to babies, children and young adults.

At Claire House, we use music therapy to help seriously ill children and families feel better emotionally and physically.

It can help a child or young adult express their feelings by playing instruments, singing, or listening to music. This can make them feel happier, less anxious and more relaxed.

Nobody is ruled out, even a child with profound hearing loss can respond to feeling vibrations, improving their physical and psychological wellbeing.

For a child with communication difficulties, music can help with speech development or it might help them express how they are feeling.

Emotional Benefits of Music Therapy:

• Helps babies, children and young adults express themselves.
• Reduces stress and anxiety.
• Supports relaxation.
• Uplifts families, making the hospice feel friendlier and more comforting.

Physical Benefits of Music Therapy:

• Helps to reduce and manage pain.
• Helps babies feed and sleep better, supporting their growth.
• Improves muscle strength and coordination, as well as enhancing motor skills.

Our Music Therapist works with a range of ages and abilities and can involve parents, siblings and carers as well.

Most children like music, so it can engage them and help encourage them to do something or stop doing something.

How does Music Therapy work?

At Claire House, we use lots of percussion instruments, bell shakers and castanets, drums, melodic hand bells, harps, and a piano. We also use technology, such as iPads with music-based apps.

We often go out to people’s houses too, helping families to find different ways of playing or communicating.

Mums are encouraged to sing to their babies to form bonds, as well as helping with a baby’s development, communication and movement.

In other sessions, a child or young adult may not want to talk about something painful or frightening and creating music or sharing songs can be a way around that. Children invite others into their world by sharing music with them.

Music is a way of having a shared experience. Sessions can also be done with families when their child is coming to the end of their life. This might be one of the last positive memories they are left with.