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Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Ngangkiku Ngartuku Kukuwardli
Acknowledgement
The Women's and Children's Hospital is located on the traditional lands for the Kaurna people, and we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge that the Kaurna people are the custodians of the Adelaide region, and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.

Music Therapy Service

WCH music therapists work with babies, children, young people and their families alongside their health journey to support emotional health and wellbeing, and improve coping with stress related to hospitalisation.

On this page:

Who can access the service? How to access this service Contact

The WCH Music Therapy service is a newly established service available to women, babies, children, young people and their families/carers under the care of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Services are provided by Registered Music Therapists (RMT), who are qualified professionals trained in the use of planned music interventions to meet individual goals relating to health, wellbeing and functioning.

At WCH, music therapists provide support in the areas of:

  • Mental health/emotional wellbeing
  • Procedure-related stress
  • Adjustment to illness
  • Developmental care
  • Quality of life care
  • Parent/caregiver-baby bonding

Music therapy provides a broad range of services tailored to support the needs of each child/young person and their family. Music therapy services may involve one or a combination of interventions to promote health and wellbeing outcomes:

  • Instrumental play and joint music making
  • Improvised musical experiences
  • Guided music listening and lyric discussion
  • Composition and songwriting
  • Create music playlists
  • Infant-directed singing
  • Music or song recording
  • Learn about functions of music and everyday wellbeing
  • Access in-hospital music resources

Who can access the service?

The Music Therapy Service may be available for WCH patients and consumers in the following areas:

Paediatric Medicine Division

  • Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
  • Rose Ward
  • Michael Rice Centre – Ward and Clinic
  • Adolescent Ward
  • Medical Short Stay Ward (MSSW)
  • Cassia Ward
  • Medical Day Unit

Surgical Services

  • Campbell Ward
  • Newland Ward
  • Kate Hill Ward

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

  • Mallee Ward

Women’s and Babies Division

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Special Care Baby Unit

How to access this service

If you would like to access the service for you or your child, please ask a clinical staff member (nurse, doctor or allied health professional) who can write a referral to the Music Therapy team.

Location

Paediatric Allied Health
Ground Floor, Good Friday Building, Zone C

Contact

Music Therapy team

Maybelle Swaney, Registered Music Therapist
Music Therapy Clinical Lead/Team Leader

Phone: (08) 8161 7381
Email: Maybelle.Swaney2@sa.gov.au

Mailing address

Music Therapy
Paediatric Allied Health
Women’s and Children’s Hospital
72 King William Road
North Adelaide
South Australia 5006