‘I try to build memories that can be cherished’: Meet Music Therapist Katya
23 Sep 2025, 10:12 a.m.
Meet Katya, a professional musician who plays the harp. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on a jazz scholarship, but after just three weeks there, she discovered a music therapy course and quickly switched to it, alongside a performance course. “As soon as I found out about it, it just clicked for me because it felt like the perfect combination of all my skills and interests,” she says.
‘My days are really, really varied’
As a music therapist at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), Katya works with a wide range of patients, from tiny babies up to 18-year-olds, which means no two days or experiences are the same.
The aim of music therapy at GOSH is to help patients reach their goals during their time in hospital. Music therapy can aid communication, expression, cognitive development and motor skills – and it can provide a space for children to smile, laugh and have fun.
“Part of my job is empowering children and young people to express their identities and emotions in ways that go beyond words,” Katya says. “It can feel really intimidating to say to a child, ‘How are you feeling about this really difficult situation that you’re in?’ Instead, we help them explore some of this in a slightly less vulnerable way.”
People are often surprised that music therapy is an evidence-based intervention, Katya says. “It’s backed by a huge and growing body of research. While it might look like we’re just having a maracas dance party, what’s actually happening is a maracas dance party that aids rehabilitation and gross motor skills.”
"You’re going from nursery rhymes like Twinkle Twinkle to KPop Demon Hunters within the space of 20 minutes. I love it!”
Patients are referred to Katya from departments all over the hospital, from the Play specialists and nursing staff, to the physiotherapy and psychology departments. Wherever possible, sessions are child-led “to give them a sense of control,” she says, “especially at a time where so much feels out of their hands”.
Katya loves the diversity that comes with her role. “The variety is so rich when you work in paediatrics,” she says. “You’ll go from a session with a two-year-old, then 15 minutes later you’re working with a 16-year-old. You’re going from nursery rhymes like Twinkle Twinkle to KPop Demon Hunters within the space of 20 minutes. I love it!”
One of the best things about the role is how much it means to patients and their families, Katya says. “Family members often say to me, ‘that was the first time they’ve spoken all day,’ or ‘that was the first time I’ve seen my child smile this week’.”
Helping kids to release tension
One of the patients Katya has been working with this year is four-year-old David, who was treated at GOSH for an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour – a rare and aggressive brain tumour.
David was referred to Katya by both his Play specialist and clinical nurse specialist as they thought he’d benefit from expressing himself through ways outside of words.
David’s dad, Olivier, felt that “tension release” would be a really important goal for David, as he had infections that meant he couldn’t access communal spaces in the hospital, such as play areas.
As with any child Katya works with, she started by focusing on what David could do, rather than any limitations.
“As much as possible, sessions are child-led to give them a sense of control and autonomy, especially when so much feels out of their hands," she says. With David, Katya wanted to explore “sensory and emotional regulation,” through techniques such as “breathing, movement and recognising and naming his feelings.”
In every session, Katya starts by trying to engage the child’s curiosity. With David, she began with really active music and high-energy movements to release tension. “At first, we’re wiggling, we’re dancing, and we’re jumping around,” she says. “From there, we’d gradually try and slow things down. Because if you go really loud to really calm, it’ll never work.”
Katya hopes that the tools she taught David in their sessions together will help him in the future.
“The strategies that a four-year-old would learn in a music therapy session today will hopefully become the self-regulation tools that they can draw upon when they’re 14. It’s about giving them skills that they can carry much further beyond the hospital.”
A brighter future for children with cancer
The new, world-leading Children’s Cancer Centre at GOSH will provide children like David with better treatments and facilities, as well as ensuring access to music, play, nature and creativity, so seriously ill children still get a chance to experience the mess and magic of childhood.
Katya is particularly excited about the planned roof garden. "Offering children and families these little pockets of normality is incredible. Fresh air might sound like such a small thing, but it really isn't in this context. It’s really exciting that children will get to have that sense of normality of being in nature."
Join us, and together we can build the future of children’s cancer care at GOSH.
