Ty Aberdafen

Music therapy can support people to feel more positive or help if they’re feeling stressed or anxious. It also brings people together.

Ty Aberdafen

Ty Aberdafen is a 24-bed residential unit for adults with acquired or traumatic brain injuries. The centre supports clients who have a wide range of physical, cognitive, communication and emotional difficulties, offering rehabilitative services and longer-term support to help maximise their quality of life. 

We began working with Ty Aberdafen in 2017. In that time, music has become important to a large proportion of the units clients, as it is accessible to everyone there.

We use music a lot to build rapport with our clients. We also see their families bonding and feeling connected through music.

One client has a severe brain injury. Music therapy offered a very special moment for him and his wife. Usually, he doesn’t engage socially or with therapy, but during a musical event run by the centre, a song was played that was very special to the couple. The client sat up and started singing while holding his wife’s hand, maintaining engagement for the whole song. They were able to connect in a way that had been difficult since the injury.  

Music therapy has also helped people build their self-confidence at Ty Aberdafen. It has boosted their moods and provided an outlet when they’re feeling low or frustrated. 

We produced this story in partnership with Ty Aberdafen.