MEET THE TEAM
Carine Ries
Director, Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy, FAMI, RYT 200hrs
Carine completed her undergraduate degree in Music & Psychology at the University of Leeds before moving to London to undertake her MA in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Carine qualified in 2010 and has since also trained in Neurologic Music Therapy and is a qualified GIM and MI therapist. Carine completed her 200hrs yoga teacher training in 2017 and has since presented internationally on the benefits of using a combined approach in therapy. Carine has experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings and with a range of needs, including mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, and profound and multiple learning disabilities. In her private practice Carine works with children and adults offering music therapy, GIM, and yoga. Since 2014 Carine has been supervising Guildhall students on music therapy placements and has been offering private music therapy supervision.
Imogen Dyer
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Imogen completed her undergraduate degree in Music at Royal Holloway, University of London in 2013. She worked in arts education before undertaking an MA in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and qualifying in 2018. Imogen has worked with adults and children in a variety of settings including schools, charities and in community, inpatient and forensic services for the NHS. She has experience with clients with a variety of needs including mental health, autism and profound and multiple learning disabilities. Imogen has experience in individual and group therapy and takes a psychodynamic approach to her work. She has a particular interest in systemic theory and enjoys working collaboratively to support individuals, families and organisations. Since 2020, Imogen has supervised Music Therapy trainees on placement from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Isobel Needham
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Isobel trained at the guildhall school of music and drama and qualified in 2004. She has worked in a variety of settings including the NHS, schools and privately. She has extensive experience in working with Autism, PLMD, children with learning difficulties and children with behavioural / emotional issues including looked after children, children who have suffered abuse and attachment disorders. She has a keen interest in brain development and its impact on children and young people and qualified in Neurological Music Therapy in 2017. She is a BAMT registered supervisor and has hosted Music Therapy students on placement. Isobel works in both individual therapy and group therapy and works both client centred and psychodynamically.
Sophie Dawson
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Sophie graduated with a Music degree from the University of Leeds and subsequently completed her Masters in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2017. Sophie has experience working for schools, charities and in the community, with a focus on children and young adult work. She has experience working with young people with autism, profound and multiple learning disabilities; children who have experienced trauma and bereavement and those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Elizabeth Dunlop
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Elizabeth originally trained as a singer at the Royal College of Music and for thirty years was engaged in performing, teaching in schools and privately and bringing up her three children. Motivated by her experience of the therapeutic effects of music on an audience and the therapeutic relationship with her students, Elizabeth was delighted to undertake further training at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, completing her MA in Music Therapy in 2020. She has experience of working with children in special needs schools, community groups at a children’s hospice, and in adult mental health.
Elizabeth has a particular interest in working with infants and with children and their families. Her MA research explored the work of therapists in music therapy groups for infants with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their carers in children’s hospices.
Eleanor Austin
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Eleanor graduated with an MA in Music Therapy from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Eleanor has experience working with adults and children in schools, hospitals, and hospices, in areas including mental health difficulties, learning difficulties, neurodiversity, neurorehabilitation, and palliative care.
Sean Kenny
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Seán is a music therapist and classically trained saxophone and piano player. He graduated in 2015 from a Bachelor of Music degree in Dublin at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, specialising in the pedagogy strand. Seán has experience performing in classical ensembles such as a saxophone quartet, wind ensembles and orchestras, while also having experience as a session musician. He has experience playing in different styles and working as a piano accompanist. Seán undertook the MA Music Therapy at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2018, completing his studies in 2020. He has clinical experience in palliative care, adult mental health, working with clients with schizophrenia, personality disorders and depression, and children with autism and emotional difficulties. Seán also works as the music therapist for a hospice in Southeast London, in an NHS adult mental health community service and in an outreach music therapy service in south London.
Toni Fairminer
Speech and Language Therapist
MA Speech and Language Therapy
Toni completed an undergraduate degree in Primary Education. She has vast experience with children and young people with Autism and worked for many years as a Teaching Assistant with the client group before qualifying as a Speech and Language therapist. As a therapist, Toni has worked with children and young people with a variety of needs including Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. She has vast experience in AAC and functional communication and supporting children and young people to engage and thrive within their learning environment. She has a particular interest in understanding the link between communication and behavioural difficulties and working with children and young people, their families and their wider support network to develop communication and subsequently reduce behavioural outbursts. She has training and experience in Lis’n Tell- Live and Inclusive Story Telling which works extremely well when co-delivered with a member of the Music Therapy Team.
Josh Considine
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Josh completed his MA in Music Therapy at the University of Roehampton, graduating in 2023. Josh is a singer, plays cello, piano and guitar and has been working as a performer and music teacher since 2012. He has many years of experience working with young adults with learning disabilities, including profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and autism. Josh has clinical experience in school settings with children and adolescents and in NHS community settings with adults with mental health diagnoses. He adopts a person-centred, psychodynamic approach to music therapy and has a keen interest in mental health. Josh is passionate about the impact that music-making can have on people’s well-being and this is something he believes should be accessible to everyone
Grace Kuhl
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Charlie
Therapy Dog
PAWS-Certified
Charlie has officially become a PAWS-Certified therapy dog in 2023.
Charlie loves coming into 1-2-1 animals assisted therapy sessions and also enjoys going into schools for visits.
In her spare time Charlie loves her scentwork training and taking part in trials.
Tom Morley
Music Therapist
MA Music Therapy
Tom graduated from Roehampton University in 2022. His final research project focused on the use of vocal improvisation with adults in palliative care, an approach which he is particularly passionate about. This interest in singing is also reflected in Tom’s ongoing work with the Choir with No Name, a choir for adults affected by homelessness.
Working as a music assistant with children at Ash Field Academy specialist school was particularly influential on Tom's decision to become a music therapist. To support his music therapy training Tom taught brass, piano, voice and classroom music at several primary and secondary schools around London.
As well as his experience in schools Tom has a diverse musical background which includes writing and recording music, a broad knowledge of different musical styles and genres, and the use of music technology to support and aid communication. All of this influences his approach to music therapy which is adaptable, inclusive and integrative.