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THE CANCER JOURNEY
Music therapists work alongside people and their whanau, and also with their oncology staff, while living with the impacts of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. We adopt a person and whānau centered approach to work with music in a way that is meaningful to our clients.
Music therapy can support people to:
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Reduce anxiety and promote relaxation
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Find comfort and solace in grief and loss
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Manage pain and energy levels
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Develop resilience and capacity
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Increase mood and motivation
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Express and explore feelings
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Restore function and stay physically active
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Develop and maintain social connections with others
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Support overall mental health and wellbeing
Why Music Therapy?
Music has a significant and profound impact on the brain, and is an excellent tool for working holistically with people throughout their cancer journey, to work towards physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual goals. Music therapy is an allied health profession like Physiotherapy and Speech-Language Therapy. We work collaboratively with others to get the best outcomes for all who access our service.
Services:
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Individual consultation work & sessions, including:
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Legacy work
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Playlist work
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Group sessions, including:
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Weekly open group
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Weekly family group
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Weekly adult group
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Singing together group
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Educational Workshops and Professional Development, including:
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How to use music in your cancer journey
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If you are interested in music therapy for your cancer journey, we welcome you to fill in a referral form here. If you would like to find out more about our groups or workshops or would like to request a quote, please email info@smt.nz.
Life reviews and Legacy Projects:
Some people who have a terminal cancer diagnosis work with music therapists in specific ways. This includes doing a music life review, legacy projects such as song writing and recording music, and creating music playlists. These creative processes support people to come to terms with their situation and to leave something meaningful behind for their loved ones. People may also choose to work alongside their whanau.
"Mums life was music and theatre, so music therapy was a natural choice for her when she found out she had Parkinson’s Disease. The Cantabrainers choir gave her back her voice- and her confidence as well as providing a new community of friends.
When mum was under palliative care for cancer, on her bucket list was to record a song. I knew Kim was the best person to support her to reach this goal-Kim encouraged mum to write her own song. This process was very healing for mum as she reflected on her life, the good times and the hard times, it gave us a project to take her mind away from her failing body. Music was her therapy, and her song is her legacy for our family.
– Daughter of client
References:
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Music Therapy with adults diagnosed with Cancer by Clare O’Callaghan and Lucanne Magill. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy
Case study of individual work in NZ: