Cygnet Health Care has launched a groundbreaking new music therapy programme at Cygnet Fountains in Blackburn. It is hoped that the initiative will have a life-changing impact on patients, helping them to look to the future with a restored sense of hope and confidence.
The Music 2 Empower programme will provide music sessions for service-users, presenting an opportunity for them to spend time in the studio and record their music.
Alan is a service-user who has spent 14 years at in hospital following an attack that left him with neurological damage. A keen drummer, he acknowledges that without music he would not be here, explaining that when he plays the drums he is not mentally ill anymore. Alan says that the initiative has renewed his confidence, motivating him to recover and be discharged. Prior to his injury, Alan spent a decade playing jazz rock and is now having to re-learn those skills. Alan says that the difference is that now, thanks to the programme, he knows he can do it.
Dr Tony Romero, CEO of Cygnet Health Care, indicates that expressing yourself through music and being creative is an important outlet for many service users. Dr Romero expressed his pride at seeing the impact that the Music 2 Empower programme was having across so many of the Cygnet Health Care’s services. Although an individual’s connection can be incredibly powerful, initiatives like this one allow service-users with shared experience to come together and benefit from being around like-minded individuals.
Cygnet Health Care’s Therapy Co-ordinator, Faye Thornton, spoke about the impact the initiative was having on Alan and other service-users. She said that when she first met Alan, he had suffered a lot of negative experiences that were at the forefront of his mind when they started working together. However, as they started to open up lines of communication, they discovered that they both had a passion for music. Ms Thornton said that Alan had a light in his eyes playing the drums and it put a smile on his face. She also pointed out that he liked to end each day with a round of applause, adding that projects like this one can really make a difference in service users’ lives.
The Music 2 Empower initiative was launched by Cygnet Health Care on World Mental Health Day 2019. The health care provider has since implemented the programme across other hospitals, supporting music therapy projects throughout the organisation and enabling service-users to showcase their abilities, inspire others, give hope and benefit from this well-established psychological approach.
Cygnet Health Care Forensic Psychologist Trainee, Natalie Booth, said that Alan hoped music was his route back to community living. For many people, music therapy is an avenue for managing emotions, and for people like Alan, it can play a key part in their recovery. Natalie Booth confirmed that since Alan has had access to a drum kit, he is a different guy. Today, Alan is motivated to get better, and he is set on his goal of discharge.
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