Music has always been my anchor. The place where I’ve felt most passionate, alive, and the most myself. Although I always enjoyed teaching and performing, the spark for this work began when I realised music could be more than an educational pursuit, or an enjoyable performance. It could actually help people heal, communicate, rehabilitate and feel understood. I now have my own business that specialises in helping people who have had traumatic brain injuries to recover speech.

It wasn’t a straightforward path. I was in a comfortable teaching job, and even though there was always something missing, I had stayed in this position for many years. I wrestled with doubt, uncertainty, and lots of questions. Can music therapy really help people? Is it too late to retrain at this stage? (I was 35!) How will I manage training alongside work? Is it really right for me? Have I got the skills? And practical things like does it pay well enough? I know how heavy it feels to long for clarity, but instead feel stuck, lost in confusion, second-guessing, and “what ifs.”

That’s why I created this gentle guide. It’s for thoughtful, compassionate people who feel the pull towards music therapy but don’t yet know if it’s truly for them. You don’t have to stay stuck in uncertainty. You can take a first step towards clarity, peace of mind, and a future that feels aligned with who you are.

My younger self would have loved to have had a mentor and a guide, someone to show me the way forward and help me to know if it would be right for me. I am so glad that I decided to move towards music therapy because it was the best decision I have ever made and I have never been happier in my work. My only regret is not making the move sooner!

I’m now a fellow of the Global Academy of Neurologic Music Therapists, have my own thriving business, and have been accepted into the PhD programme at the Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy this year.