My name is Cheryl-Lee Campbell. Music therapy is my second career. Before switching paths, I was a singer, a singing teacher, and a private web consultant. I still perform professionally on occasion: most recently I was the soprano soloist in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem.

A few years ago, I started to learn about music therapy. I found what I learned so convincing that I was inspired to completely change course and fulfill a desire to help people (especially babies and children).

I have experience working with paediatric clients with a variety of diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy, Brain Injury, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and genetic disorders. As an intern, I was the first representative of music therapy at a major Toronto hospital, where I worked with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as well as their parents. I also have experience in long-term care.

I hold a Master of Music Therapy degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, where I was honoured to receive the Harmonize for Speech Master of Music Therapy Award. In addition to classroom work, I completed over 1000 hours in clinical internship. My Major Research Project was titled: Leaving space in the music: Music therapy, children, and speech and language disorders.  

I have the MTA (Music Therapist Accredited), and MT-BC (equivalent U.S. accreditation) credentials.  I am also a qualified Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT), which means I have additional training from The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy.  As a member of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists, I adhere to their Code of Ethics.

I provide music therapy to babies and children in their own homes in Toronto.  I ask that your child and I have a room in which to work, ideally one that is private. If you have a keyboard instrument (such as a piano), I would love the opportunity to use it with your child. All other instruments/ required materials will be brought by me.

Consultation

I offer a free consultation. This is provided on the phone at a pre-arranged time (1/2 hour). This is your opportunity to tell me about your child, what they may be struggling with, and your concerns. It is my opportunity to ask some questions. At the end of the consultation, I will tell you whether I think I can help, and you will be given the opportunity to make a decision about whether to go ahead.

Assessment

Clinical assessment looks a lot like other music therapy sessions. I will take this time to get to know your child, their strengths and their weaknesses. Some of the assessment will also include information gathering from you. This generally takes one or two sessions. At the end of the assessment, I will create a treatment plan and formulate goals for your child. I will go over my plan with you, and get your agreement to go ahead.

Treatment

Most children have one session per week in order to keep momentum. During treatment, I continue to document your child’s progress towards the goals established during the assessment, and we may agree together to adjust the goals as treatment progresses. Session length may vary depending on your child’s age.

A typical music therapy session might include receptive music (listening), familiar and improvised music, songwriting, moving to music, and multi-modal aspects (such as visual art elements). Exactly what will be involved depends on your child and their specific goals. I have a wide variety of instruments that I use in sessions such as drums, bells, shakers, and other small percussion instruments. Music therapy with children often looks a lot like play and your child may not realize how hard they are working. Sometimes (as with babies), parents will also be involved in the sessions: it all depends on the needs of your child.