Neuro-affirming Music Therapy and Supervision
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand. – Stevie Wonder
Emily is a Neurodivergent Music Therapist who works primarily with tamariki aged 2-13 to support growth and development in identity affirming ways. She uses child-centred, play-based and resource-oriented approaches in her work and works with a strong anti-oppressive lens.
Music has the unique ability to connect people in new ways, and connection lies at the heart of Emily’s work. She has a particular passion for working with neurodivergent tamariki, using music to promote growth and development in neuro-affirming ways, as well as supporting sensory and emotional regulation. She supports tamariki who have experienced trauma, rainbow youth and other vulnerable groups and is interested in intersectionality. She also uses music to support communication for tamariki who experience communication delays.
Emily has been working as a music therapist since 2019. In addition to raising 4 awesome, neurodivergent kids and supporting a neurodivergent bonus teen, Emily worked as an itinerant piano, voice and harp teacher for over 15 years, as well as teaching Kodály music education classes to children aged 0-7. Several paths led her to explore music therapy and she started retraining as a music therapist in 2015. She specialised in working with children in mainstream primary school settings. Her passion for inclusion and the need to provide a safe, consistent musicking space onsite at mainstream schools led to the beginnings of the Little Musical Caravan. She now runs a thriving music therapy service with two music therapists who work alongside her, and a Therapy Hub which provides a home for other similarly-aligned allied health professionals.
Emily is available to provide supervision to music therapists, counsellors and other allied health professionals. She works in a collaborative, resource-oriented way and with an anti-oppressive lens. Supervision is offered in person at Mana Therapy Hub or, by arrangement, online.
- Registered Music Therapist (MTh NZ)
- Supervisor (NZCMC micro-credential)
- Masters of Music Therapy (NZSM/ VUW)
- Certificate in Counselling (CPCAB, UK)
- Certificate in Music Teaching (ABRSM)
- PhD (Theology - University of Birmingham, UK)
- Founder and Director of the Little Musical Caravan, mobile music therapy service
- Supervisor
- Founder of Mana Therapy Hub
- Language Consultant for Approaches: An interdisciplinary journal of Music Therapy
- Copy Editor for Voices: A world forum for music therapy
- Emily mainly works one-on-one with tamariki, although peer involvement is often encouraged where possible and TA, school team or parental/ caregiver participation is possible where appropriate.
- Appointments are for regular weekly, 30 minute sessions, beginning with a music therapy assessment. This might be for a short-term piece of work or longer term, depending on your child's needs.
- To register, click here: https://www.littlemusicalcaravan.co.nz/register/
- Mana Therapy Hub, 116 Mana Esplanade, Paremata, Porirua 5026
- On school sites by arrangement - we have a list of current host schools in Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast.
- Partnering with Āhuru Mōwai Trust at their high sensory sessions at Awesome Bounce
- Where there is a specific need, Emily will sometimes visit tamariki at home.
- Please see my website for current fees.
- Work usually begins with a music therapy assessment, which is payable in advance.
- If we decide that music therapy is a suitable modality, regular on-going music therapy is invoiced at the end of each month with invoices payable within 14 days.
- Payment by internet banking preferred.
"This is what I thought about working with Emily… It wasn’t just do the A chord on the first fret. She makes music fun. You can play any instrument you want." (Child participant)
"Emily is very professional and incorporates [my son’s] school and speech therapy goals effortlessly into her sessions. She also attends school IEPs and always has helpful hints!" (Parent)
"I have loved seeing what [child] has been doing with you in the [Little Musical Caravan]. It certainly is always a real highlight for her. Reading this report confirms the importance of the goals you had for her and we have seen some real development in both these areas and much more." (SENCO)
"Our son… has been working with Emily since the beginning of last year. It really helped him to settle into his new school and make friends. His peers are very keen to join [our son] in his weekly music therapy. I hear them say now “I didn’t know he could talk so much” as [our son] can be very quiet at school. We are very pleased we found Emily, it made a huge difference to [our son] and to us!" (Parent)