Specialist support for adults with complex needs
Specialist clinical music therapy for adults with complex needs, delivered within residential, specialist and clinical settings across Derbyshire
Adults with complex needs may experience significant difficulties with emotional regulation, communication, relationships, or engagement with care and rehabilitation services. These difficulties are often shaped by autism, learning disability, acquired brain injury (ABI), neurological change, or long-standing mental health needs.
I provide specialist, clinically governed support for adults whose needs are not easily met through standard verbal or behavioural approaches, and who require a contained, relational intervention that can sit safely within residential, specialist, or clinical settings.
Support is commissioned by care providers, case managers, and services seeking to improve engagement, emotional stability, and relational safety for adults with complex presentations, while working alongside existing care, rehabilitation, and multidisciplinary input.
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The work is delivered through clinical music therapy, a regulated psychological therapy provided by an HCPC-registered practitioner. Music is used as the primary medium to support expression, regulation, and relational engagement where speech may be limited, unreliable, or unavailable.
Who this service is for
This service is designed for adults whose support needs are shaped by neurodevelopmental, neurological, or psychological complexity, and who require a therapeutic approach that can adapt to communication differences, cognitive change, and vulnerability.
This may include adults:
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with autism spectrum conditions
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with learning disabilities
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with acquired brain injury (ABI), including traumatic or neurological injury
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experiencing complex or enduring mental health needs
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older adults, including those living with dementia or neurodegenerative conditions
The work is particularly relevant where verbal approaches are limited, inaccessible or insufficient, and where a contained, relational therapeutic intervention is required.
Clinical settings and contexts
Support is delivered within environments where adults live, receive care, or undergo rehabilitation, and is shaped by the realities of each setting rather than imposed as a standalone intervention.
Settings may include:
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Residential and specialist adult care services
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Autism-specific and learning disability services
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Neuro-rehabilitation and acquired brain injury (ABI) contexts
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Mental health and complex needs provisions
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Community or outreach services, where appropriate
The format, frequency and focus of the work are considered in relation to the environment, level of support available and the needs of the individuals being seen. Group sessions can also be considered where clinically appropriate.
Clinical approach
The work is grounded in psychodynamic and trauma-aware thinking, with careful attention to boundaries, containment and the therapeutic relationship. Music is used as the primary medium for communication and relational work, offering access to emotional and psychological processes that may not be readily available through words alone.
This approach is particularly relevant in the context of autism, learning disability and acquired brain injury, where communication differences, neurological change or trauma may significantly impact verbal expression, regulation and relational capacity.
Sessions are structured and consistent, with sensitivity to vulnerability, risk and individual presentation. The therapeutic frame is held clearly, allowing the work to develop over time within a safe and contained clinical relationship.
Online provision (where clinically appropriate)
In some circumstances, adult clinical music therapy may be offered online, following careful consideration of suitability, risk and context. This may be relevant where in-person provision is temporarily unavailable, or where remote work is clinically indicated.
Online work is considered on an individual basis and is not assumed to be appropriate for all presentations. Decisions are informed by clinical assessment, the needs of the individual, and the wider support structures in place.
Where offered, online sessions are held within a clear therapeutic frame and subject to the same professional standards, boundaries and governance as in-person work.
Working within care, residential, and multidisciplinary systems
Support for adults with complex needs does not sit in isolation. It must operate safely within existing care structures, rehabilitation pathways, and clinical systems, with clear attention to roles, responsibility, and communication.
Work is shaped in collaboration with organisations and multidisciplinary teams, supporting shared understanding of emotional, relational, and behavioural needs where this is helpful to the wider service. This may inform care planning, consistency of approach, and containment of risk across settings.
Clinical music therapy is used as the therapeutic method within this work, delivered in a way that complements — rather than replaces or duplicates — other professional input. Provision may be commissioned on an ongoing or time-limited basis, depending on the needs, stability, and context of the service.
Professional standards and clinical governance
Support for adults with complex needs requires clear professional accountability, robust clinical governance, and careful management of risk, confidentiality, and safeguarding.
All work is delivered by an HCPC-registered Music Therapist and is held within recognised ethical and professional standards. Practice is fully insured for clinical work and compliant with data protection requirements.
Clinical provision is supported through regular professional supervision and ongoing continuing professional development, ensuring that support remains reflective, contained, and appropriate to the vulnerability and complexity of the adults and services involved.
Professional enquires
If you are a care provider, organisation, commissioner, or case manager seeking specialist support for adults with complex needs, you are welcome to get in touch to discuss your setting and the individuals you support.
Enquiries are approached thoughtfully, with attention to context, appropriateness, and clinical fit. Initial conversations are exploratory and focused on understanding need, rather than on committing to provision.