Catherine was great with my son. He felt so at ease and that’s what I wanted for him. As he loves music it’s a great programme. He used to write his own songs and now I can see him back to himself and loving music again. And ye helped me with this process. So thank you very much.

DT, mother.

My wife P had a serious stroke which affected the left side of her brain causing Aphasia and the loss of the use of the right side of her body. Catherine has been working on P's speech and cognitive skills and also on her walking difficulties. The progress has been slow but the difference that this has made to P is immeasurable.  

In all the time I have known Catherine I have found her to be passionate about the work she carries out and her professionalism to the work outstanding. Her level of empathy with P is great. I would recommend Catherine to anybody that is looking for support in this area and wish that others could benefit from the wealth of experience that Catherine possesses.

FL, husband.

I felt music therapy was great for my son. It helped him to open up to someone. And now he talks to me which I think it is a great step forward. Catherine was great with S as he is a very shy person if he doesn’t know you. But felt very comfortable. Thank you Catherine

SP, mother.

I had the opportunity to attend music therapy with Catherine Sweeney for thirteen months during my late teen years. These years were already filled with natural stress and worry, on top of extra anxieties I was experiencing. Music therapy became a vital part of my weekly routine to help navigate me through this tumultuous time in my life.

During my time with Catherine, we worked through a number of topics ranging from anxiety to grief to self-esteem to improving confidence. She approached each of these topics with the same enthusiasm as the last and granted fully focused attention to guiding me through the challenge, with music becoming a powerful tool in the process. We used music as a device through which I could process my feelings, understand them and live with them comfortably.

It was reassuring to know that there was never any pressure to perform for Catherine, the music therapy was simply there to support and guide me. In recent times of stress, I have been able to reflect on the work that Catherine and I did and reintegrate some of those techniques into my life.

As well as her musical approach, Catherine firmly embraced my need for chat and engaged in thoughtful, considerate and effective conversation. Her ability to read what I needed during each given session always made me feel at ease and made the experience completely stress free.  Some days the session would consist of solely talking, and other days a blend of music and chat. Catherine’s flexibility was extremely valued and made me feel like I had control over the trajectory of the session, with her calm guidance always steering me in the right direction. With Catherine’s guiding hand, I left music therapy feeling secure, confident and capable to tackle life on my own, keeping everything I had learned in my therapy at the forefront of my mind.

Catherine is accommodating, patient, supportive and gentle in her therapeutic approach and I am fully confident in my recommendation to Déise Music Therapy.

Music therapy has helped my son to understand consequences and given him a way to express himself. As a parent it was beneficial to be given strategies to help defuse situations before they go too far. Catherine has been very helpful in sharing ideas to help my son feel safe and settle himself, also sharing resources to help.

I would absolutely recommend Déise Music Therapy to others. It’s a great avenue to help kids on the right track to regulating their moods, in a fun and relaxed environment.

JD, mother

Catherine is such a kind-hearted therapist and my daughter immediately warmed to her and she trusted her which was brilliant.

EB, mother

It is difficult for teenagers / children to open up to others and music therapy is a lovely way of getting them to engage.

SW, mother.