Sian Canning

qualified Music Psychotherapist (HCPC), accredited high intensity cognitive behavioural therapist (BABCP) and experienced teacher (QTS).

I have over 18 years of teaching experience, originally working in secondary education as a music teacher, I qualified at Durham University after completing my undergraduate degree in music at the University of Huddersfield. This led to a career working both overseas and the UK; from Vietnam and the middle east; to the north-east and the south-west of the U;, teaching a variety of subjects and disciplines to all age groups. In recent years, I have mostly been supporting young people with their learning alongside managing various medical conditions and working to support their social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH). 

In completing my master’s degree at University of the West of England with distinction, I have since worked with a diverse demographic in a variety of settings, from an adult psychiatric intensive care unit to pupil referral units, in a children’s home and in various community outreach projects.

I have since qualified as a high intensity cognitive behavioural therapist at University of Exeter, and I currently work for NHS-based services in primary mental health care.

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is a practice that can afford an opportunity for safe, holistic, immersive connection and communication between a client and their therapist for non-music related health and wellbeing outcomes. Music therapy affords an opportunity to mutually connect using sound as a medium to explore internalised emotions and sensations. It helps clients to engage in a held, meaningful human interaction that does not solely depend on verbal communication. It can afford for trauma to be met, recognised and expressed safely and with meaning to the client, while the therapist provides a safe parameter for idiosyncratic attunement and autonomy to develop. Safe parameters and clear boundaries help to generate trust and makes way for an effective mutual alliance.

What will we do in our sessions?

I work using psychodynamic methods, such as analytically-oriented music therapy (AMT) and resource-oriented music therapy (ROMT). These music therapy approaches serve to develop a client’s goals that focus on non-music related outcomes, as well as enhance a strengths-based approach that pre-exist with a client and encourages their self-esteem. Piano is my main instrument, the voice and a variety of percussion for us to explore using improvisation as a basis for musical exploration.

Clients can come to sessions to experiment with playing various instruments and their sounds. It allows a client to discover or reconnect with their self-awareness, sense of self and help them to regulate their emotional processing. Clients do not need to have any prior musical experience, skills or background. We let the unique music we make do the ‘talking’ through our improvisations and we allow these musical interactions to afford a mindful, grounded  dynamic. This helps to channel complex emotions in ways that words cannot.