Music Therapy Across the Lifespan

Evidence-based music therapy supporting people to communicate, connect, move, participate and thrive

Music can reach people in ways that other approaches sometimes cannot.

At QPAH, our Registered Music Therapists (RMTs) use music within evidence-based therapeutic practice to support meaningful goals in communication, cognition, movement, emotional wellbeing, regulation, social connection and participation.

We work across the lifespan – from babies and young children through to adolescents, adults and older people.

Our music therapists work with individuals, families and organisations across disability, mental health, education, community services and aged care.

Enquire about Music Therapy

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WHY CHOOSE QPAH?

Excellence in Music Therapy

Experienced. Evidence-informed. Collaborative.
Our music therapy service has grown from decades of clinical experience and a belief that high-quality therapy should be both clinically rigorous and deeply human.

When you work with QPAH, you can expect:

Registered Music Therapists

Our music therapists hold recognised university qualifications in music therapy and maintain professional registration with the Australian Music Therapy Association.

Lifespan Practice

Our work extends from early childhood and disability through to mental health, community practice and older adulthood.

Neurologic Music Therapy®Training

Our team includes therapists with additional training through the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy.

Collaborative Allied Health Care

As part of QPAH’s multidisciplinary team, our music therapists can collaborate with Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Allied Health Assistants and external professionals where this benefits the person.

Person-Centred & Strengths-Based Practice

We start with the person – their strengths, interests, preferences, culture, relationships and goals – rather than defining them by a diagnosis.

Therapy That People Want to Engage In

Music can create an extraordinary level of motivation and connection.

For people who have struggled to engage with other approaches, this can make music therapy a particularly valuable therapeutic option.

OUR APPROACH

Music therapy tailored to your support needs

Music therapy doesn’t have to happen in a therapy room.

QPAH provides services across a range of environments because the best place for therapy depends on the person and what they want to achieve.

Services may include:

individual music therapy
joint or multidisciplinary therapy
small-group music therapy
community-based programs
school-based programs
youth programs
aged care programs
home-based services
telehealth
organisational and commissioned programs.

We also offer community music programs designed to create opportunities for connection, participation and belonging.

OVERVIEW

What happens in music therapy?

There is no standard QPAH music therapy session.

What happens depends on who you are and what you want to achieve.

A session might involve:

playing instruments
singing
songwriting
improvisation
movement to music
rhythm-based activities
music listening
music technology and recording
musical games
creating playlists
using visual supports, Key Word Sign or AAC alongside music
learning or adapting an instrument
therapeutic discussion around songs and music
creating and performing music with other people.

You do not need to be musical or know how to play an instrument to participate in music therapy.

The music is the therapeutic tool – not the goal.

the people we work with

Who we support

Children, Adolescents & Adults with Disability

Music therapy provides an engaging, strengths-based way to support people with disability across the lifespan. Registered Music Therapists use music purposefully to work towards individual goals in communication, social connection, emotional regulation, movement, cognition, independence and participation, adapting each experience to the person’s abilities, interests and preferred ways of communicating.

Mental Health & Psychosocial Wellbeing

Music therapy offers a creative and accessible way to support mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Through songwriting, music listening, improvisation, instrument playing and other experiences, Registered Music Therapists can support emotional expression and regulation, identity, confidence, coping strategies, social connection and engagement, particularly when words alone may not be enough.

Older adults with age-related conditions such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease

Music can remain accessible and meaningful even when other abilities change. Music therapy can support older adults living with dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other age-related conditions by targeting communication, cognition, movement, emotional wellbeing and social connection, while drawing on personally meaningful music to maintain identity, participation and quality of life.

Young People Who Are Disengaged or At Risk

Music can create a powerful point of connection for young people who find traditional therapeutic, educational or support approaches difficult to engage with. Songwriting, beat-making, recording, performance and shared music experiences can support trusting relationships, self-expression, emotional regulation, confidence, identity, social connection and meaningful re-engagement with learning and community.

Music Therapy in Schools

Music therapy can support students to engage, communicate, regulate and participate more successfully within their school environment. Working individually, in groups or across classrooms, Registered Music Therapists use evidence-based musical experiences to target communication, social skills, emotional regulation, attention, movement, confidence, inclusion and wellbeing while collaborating with educators and support teams.

People Requiring Rehabilitation After Stroke or other Acquired Brain Injuries

Music therapy can harness rhythm, melody and the brain’s response to music to support rehabilitation following stroke or acquired brain injury. Registered Music Therapists may target movement, speech and language, cognition, attention and memory using evidence-based techniques, while also supporting motivation, emotional adjustment, identity and quality of life throughout recovery.

A close-up photo of a teenage girl playing guitar with another girl in the background listening to her.

ACCESSING MUSIC THERAPY

Where we provide music therapy

QPAH provides music therapy across a range of settings, including:

Our team provides services in Northern NSW, on the Gold Coast and in Townsville, with outreach and organisational programs available in other locations depending on service requirements.

Please contact us to discuss availability in your area.

ways to pay for music therapy

Funding music therapy

Depending on eligibility and the purpose of therapy, music therapy may be accessed through a range of funding arrangements, including:

NDIS funding (Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living)
Support at Home (Fully funded clinical service)
organisational funding and service agreements
school or education funding (e.g. Behaviour Boost, Kindy Uplift, Inclusion Support)
private payment
other funding arrangements where applicable.

Funding eligibility depends on the individual program and circumstances. Our team can help you understand the options that may apply to you.

Ask us about funding

Man playing guitar to a young girl in a standing frame.

Why music therapy?

How music therapy helps

Communication

Music therapy can support receptive and expressive communication, speech, vocalisation, interaction and the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). For some people who communicate without speech, music can create powerful opportunities for choice-making, initiation, shared attention and connection.

Cognition

Structured musical experiences can target attention, memory, planning, sequencing, problem-solving and other cognitive and executive functions.

A simple line drawing of a hand placing a puzzle piece with a dark corner above two others, one with a light blue corner, suggests progress—perfect for illustrating speech therapy for kids. A small plus sign appears nearby.

Movement

Rhythm provides a powerful structure for movement. Music therapy may be used to support timing, coordination, motor planning, fine and gross motor skills and purposeful movement.

Emotional Regulation & Mental Health

Music can help people identify, express and regulate emotions while providing opportunities to develop personalised strategies for managing distress, arousal and wellbeing.

Social Connection

Making music with another person requires listening, responding, waiting, initiating, adapting and sharing an experience. Music therapy can provide a natural context for developing social connection and relationships.

Identity & Self-expression

Our music is often deeply connected with who we are. Songwriting, improvisation, music listening, performance and other musical experiences can provide meaningful ways to explore identity, communicate experiences and express ideas that may otherwise be difficult to put into words.

Participation & Quality of Life

Not every meaningful therapeutic outcome is about acquiring a new skill. Music therapy can also create opportunities for autonomy, belonging, enjoyment, creativity, relationships, community participation and meaningful experiences. These outcomes matter at every stage of life.

Meet the team

Music Therapy team

QPAH’s music therapy services are provided by Registered Music Therapists (RMTs).

Registered Music Therapists complete recognised tertiary-level music therapy training, are registered with the Australian Music Therapy Association and undertake ongoing professional development and supervision.

Our team brings experience across disability, child development, mental health, education, community practice, neurological rehabilitation and aged care.

Monica Zidar

Director & Principal Registered Music Therapist

A woman with short brown hair and glasses smiles while wearing a black short-sleeve shirt and gold necklace, posed against a plain white background—perfect to represent music therapy courses or a music therapist Gold Coast professional.

Eliza Fish

Clinical Lead Registered Music Therapist

A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a black short-sleeve blouse, smiles while standing against a plain white background—a welcoming presence for anyone interested in music therapy Gold Coast services.

Jorja Dimopoulos

Registered Music Therapist – Gold Coast & Townsville

Kate Robinson

Registered Music Therapist – Gold Coast

Alex Batt

Registered Music Therapist – Gold Coast

Ellie Stephenson

Registered Music Therapist – Gold Coast & Tweed

The Process

What to expect

From your first session to real-life outcomes, here’s how we work together through music.

01 Intake

02 Share relevant history with your music therapist

The first appointment will be a conversation with you or a parent/caregiver, to give an idea of what has brought you to music therapy. This, in conjuction with the completion of intake forms will inform how music therapy proceeds.

03 Assessment

The music therapist will administer any standardised functional/clinical assessments to assess areas of need prior to therapy commencing. This also provides a valuable way measuring progress.

04 Collaborative goal setting

The music therapist will work with you to set goals for music therapy, based on your assessment results and your priorities.

05 Music therapy program design

The music therapist will apply their specialised knowledge of evidence-based techniques and interventions to write a program to meet your needs.

06 Check your progress

The music therapist will re-administer some of the initial assessment tools used and talk to you and/or a parent/caregiver about how music therapy has helped you to achieve your goals.

07 Capacity building in action

The music therapist will support you to transfer the skills you have gained in music therapy to your everyday life.

08 Discharge

older man smiling and moving to music, sitting on a lounge with a male music therapist playing guitar.