How did you get your job?
My journey began during my final-year placement, when I was based in a mental health facility at the Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. This placement gave me invaluable insight into what day-to-day clinical work in the NHS looks and feels like.
After graduating with an MA in Music Therapy from Anglia Ruskin University, I secured a fixed-term maternity cover position, which allowed me to continue building my clinical confidence in a familiar environment.
I remained in that role for two years before moving to Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS, where I now work as a creative arts therapist (senior music therapist). This progression felt like a natural step, offering the opportunity to take on greater responsibility and contribute to the development and delivery of creative therapies within a new service.
What's a typical working day like?
I spend much of my time running individual and group music therapy sessions, supporting service users with emotional expression, grounding, and recovery-focused goals.
My role also includes supervising trainees, writing clinical notes, preparing session plans, and occasionally delivering training sessions, staff workshops, and reflective practice groups. Alongside this, I collaborate closely with the multidisciplinary team and attend referral meetings.
What do you enjoy most about being a music therapist?
I value the relational and creative nature of the work - being able to witness moments of connection, insight, and emotional expression that emerge through music. It is incredibly meaningful to see service users develop confidence, regulation, and a sense of agency within the therapeutic space.
Supervising trainee music therapists has also become a highlight. Supporting their growth often reconnects me with my own motivations for working in this field and offers a fresh perspective on my practice.
What are the challenges?
Working within acute mental health settings can be demanding. The pace is fast and unpredictable, and service users' needs can change quickly. It requires flexibility, emotional resilience, and the ability to balance therapeutic boundaries with clinical risk and safety considerations.
How is your degree relevant?
My degree has been central to everything I do. It provided the theoretical grounding, clinical frameworks, and reflective capacity required for safe therapeutic practice. The placements were particularly impactful, offering first-hand experience in mental health settings and helping to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
The degree continues to shape how I think, make decisions, and understand the therapeutic process.
How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?
Over time, my role has continued to grow and evolve. After qualifying, I secured a part-time Band 6 position, which later developed into a full-time role. The two years I spent as a Band 6 music therapist were instrumental in building my confidence and consolidating my clinical skills.
This experience prepared me for progression into a Band 7 post, where I have been able to lead creative therapy initiatives, supervise students, and contribute to wider service development.
I am now working towards the responsibilities expected of an advanced clinical practitioner (Band 8a), and have ambitions to combine clinical work, supervision and leadership as the next stage of my career.
What are your top tips for choosing a Masters?
- Look at the placement quality, as hands-on experience is where most learning takes place.
- Choose a programme with strong clinical links to the settings you aspire to work in.
- Consider the supervision model, with good reflective practice considered essential in this field.
- Think about the learning environment, as you'll want a course that encourages both creativity and emotional safety.
- Talk to alumni, because they're often the most honest about the strengths and challenges.
What are your top tips for others wanting to get into this job?
- Build relevant experience early. Get exposure to mental health, learning disabilities, education or community arts settings, as this will help you to confirm which field is right for you.
- Be proactive and make use of opportunities. Take the initiative to build your profile and seek out experiences that stretch you. Saying 'yes' to opportunities, whether that's shadowing, training, research involvement or creative projects, can open unexpected pathways.
- Stay open and curious. Every client, every ward and every day brings something different. Flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to keep learning will help you grow as a clinician.
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