The National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) Music Therapy Service was overjoyed recently to receive notification of the amazing generosity of an anonymous donor, who donated a phenomenal €50,000 to support the enhancement and development of the service within the NRH. 

The Music Therapy Service is part of the NRH Creative Arts Therapy Service, incorporating Art Therapy and Music Therapy, led by Senior Music Therapist, Rebecca O’Connor (pictured above working with the patients).  Music Therapy is the planned and intentional use of music-based methods to meet individuals’ emotional, social, physical, psychological, behavioural and communication needs. It is an integral part of the interdisciplinary intervention in the NRH, enabling the use of music-based methods to facilitate children and adult patients in achieving their rehabilitation goals, contributing towards everyone optimising their overall rehabilitation programme. 

The NRH music therapy service provides specialised assessment and treatment in small groups and individually across all four programmes in the NRH.  Many volunteers including ex-patients (pictured above) support the service, playing music at events, in group sessions and in the Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Choir, where patients are facilitated to meet their rehabilitation goals through singing and music-based methods in a supported group situation. 

The NRH Music Therapy service is also a centre for research and excellence where several national and international research studies have taken place.

This life changing donation to the service will enable further development and growth, thereby enhancing the delivery and impact of Music Therapy intervention in the rehabilitation journey of many of the NRH patients now and into the future.  We will be forever indebted to this extremely generous donor – this is really making dreams come true and will make a direct and impactful difference in the lives of the patients of the NRH.