THE NEWCASTLE MUSIC & ART THERAPY TEAM

Our Team

Susan Ashley-Brown

Susan Ashley-Brown

Director & Registered Music Therapist

Susan Ashley-Brown is the Director of Newcastle Music & Art Therapy and is a Registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA). She has worked in many settings for nearly 20 years including paediatrics, aged care, mental health, disability and early intervention. She has been conducting the Sing & Grow program in the Hunter for many years, an early intervention program focusing on family interactions and child development. She is regularly engaged by the Family Action Centre, Newcastle University, to run workshops and provide music therapy for families attending SNUG camps.

After graduating from the University of Technology, Sydney and becoming a Registered Music Therapist in 1999, Susan was the first music therapist to be employed by the John Hunter Children’s Hospital in the Paediatric Oncology Department, a position funded by Redkite (formerly Malcolm Sargent Foundation). During her time there, Susan was able to expand the position to include the other general wards. She also worked at the purpose built Golden Stave Music Therapy Centre based in Penrith, which was an invaluable opportunity to work alongside other music therapists.

Susan has been an active member of the AMTA, the peak body for music therapy in Australia, serving as Chair of Education and on the National Council. She has overseen a number of Validations of the music therapy training programs at the University of Melbourne, Western Sydney University and previously the University of Queensland and the University of Technology, Sydney. In 2022, Susan won the Music Therapist of the Year award at the Australian Allied Health Awards.

Susan has a passion for music therapy and loves to talk about it. She has presented at conferences and facilitated many workshops for various groups, always providing relevant and current research and practice information to support the presentation.

She loves working with people using music and seeing it make a difference in their lives. She has developed Newcastle Music & Art Therapy so that more music therapy can be offered to more people, and more lives can be changed through music.

Rachel Hamilton

Rachel Hamilton

Registered Music Therapist

Rachel Hamilton has been a registered music therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) for over 18 years, working in Sydney and Newcastle with a variety of population groups.

Rachel has worked with children in hospital and in special education centres, with clients with disabilities and adults with dementia. In each of these areas, she has seen how effective music can be in complementing medical, educational and allied health treatment plans. Family members and support people often play a valuable role in her music therapy sessions.

As well as working as a music therapist, Rachel also enjoys sharing her love of music through playing in traditional jazz bands, teaching the piano and accompanying singers and instrumentalists.

Stef Tuyl

Stef Tuyl

Registered Music Therapist

Stef was born into a musical family and began performing at an early age with her two older sisters. Stef completed her double Music/Arts degree with distinction in 2016, and found that she was drawn to the idea of using music as a resource to help people achieve optimal health. She went on to complete her Master of Music Therapy in 2020 through The University of Melbourne, graduating with distinction. She became a Registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) in 2021.

Being a music therapist allows Stef to combine her passions of playing music and connecting with people to work towards individualised goals for improving health, functioning, wellbeing and personal growth. Stef loves being able to form meaningful connections with clients while offering them a safe space to use music to express things that are often difficult to put into words.

Outside of her work at Newcastle Music & Art Therapy, Stef is “the pink quokka” in a local children’s band called The Quokkas. The Quokkas’ mission is to make music that makes a difference to future generations. Stef has found that her experience as a music therapist has helped significantly with writing songs that carry simple messages promoting inclusivity and diversity in all walks of life.

Stef is also employed at the University of Newcastle and runs several choirs through their Community Music Program. Stef is particularly interested in the role music can play in rehabilitation and recovery following a brain injury. She is the director and conductor of a choir made up of stroke survivors and their families and/or carers. The BrainWaves choir is funded through the University of Newcastle and rehearses every Saturday of the school term.

Joey McNamara

Joey McNamara

Registered Music Therapist

Joey completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Newcastle’s Conservatorium, majoring in performance, before obtaining his Master of Music Therapy from the University of Melbourne in 2020. He became a registered music therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) in 2021.

Joey was initially drawn to the practice of music therapy after fostering a beautiful musical relationship with his young Autistic family member. After further research and personal experiences, he realised how beneficial music can be for every person across our whole lifespan. Joey hopes to provide support to the people who need it most, through his musical and therapeutic presence.

Katishe Grudnoff

Katishe Grudnoff

Registered Art Therapist

Katishe Grudnoff is a professionally registered Art Therapist with the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA), graduating the Master of Art Therapy at the Western Sydney University.
 
Katishe brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team from both the mental health and disability sectors. Over the last fifteen years Katishe has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals on mental health inpatient and outpatient teams, domestic violence teams, dementia units and managing therapeutic day programs supporting people with disabilities.
 
Katishe has a warm and down to earth approach, supporting people to feel safe to express themselves and tell their stories through creative and fun treatment methods. She is passionate about using art as a tool for communication and connection, encouraging people to reach their identified goals and live their best lives. A session with Katishe looks very different depending on the persons’ interests and abilities but could involve using a variety of materials including clay, paint, inks, pencils or multi-sensory work.
 
Katishe also has a keen interest in research and program writing, winning awards of excellence for developing children’s trauma programs, publishing peer reviewed papers, presenting at conferences and lecturing at The University of Newcastle.
 
At home, Katishe creates art focusing on ceramic sculpture and mixed media painting and inks. She regularly has exhibitions and has won awards for her work.
Miriam Saines

Miriam Saines

Registered Art Therapist

Miriam (she/her) is a professionally registered Art Therapist with the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA), graduating the Master of Art Therapy at the Western Sydney University in 2012.

Miriam is a late diagnosed autistic and ADHD art therapist who has neurodivergent children and family members. She is passionate about working with neurodivergent clients and clients with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds. She works from a strengths based, neurodiversity affirming framework and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, both lived and professional, to her work.

Miriam also has extensive experience working in the mental health field with a wide range of client groups. She is an accomplished group art therapist who has worked within inpatient and outpatient hospital settings and has facilitated community-based self-care groups for parents and carers. She has also worked in school settings, running groups for children with disabilities and groups for children who have experienced trauma.

Miriam’s intention is for her clients to feel safe to be themselves and to unmask in art therapy if they choose to; to stim as much as they need to; to have their sensory needs and support needs met; to experience being valued and accepted for who they are; to creatively express themselves in their own unique way without judgement.

Miriam’s current passion interests are neurodiversity, neurodiversity affirming practice, painting and reading. She listens to Josh Pyke’s music on repeat and spends a lot of time wearing sound cancelling headphones at home as her children love to be loud.

Asoka Whitwell

Asoka Whitwell

Registered Art Therapist

Asoka Whitwell completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Newcastle before obtaining a Masters of Art Therapy at Western Sydney University in 2020. She is a registered Art Therapist with the Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA).
Asoka is currently working in the mental health field, facilitating inpatient and outpatient art therapy groups in a hospital setting.
Asoka is passionate about advocating that people have a voice and have a safe space to share, providing an opportunity to be supported and rediscover a sense of self, belonging, and connection.
Natalie Holland

Natalie Holland

Admin and Marketing

Coming to Newcastle Music & Art Therapy from a media background, Natalie (she/her) is a bit of a jack of all trades. A Communications graduate, she has worked as a radio producer, a television playout coordinator, a childcare worker, a social media guru and a podcast editor.

Natalie takes on our administration tasks on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as running our Facebook page and website. She is currently studying Auslan, and continues to educate herself in child safety and disability services. Natalie is passionate about disability, LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous issues, and aims to create a space that is inclusive, neurodiverse-affirming and accessible for all clients.

Our Mission

Putting it simply – to change lives through music and art!

We aim to provide accessible music therapy and art therapy for people of all ages and abilities.

We love to talk about music therapy and art therapy and share our knowledge. We are advocates for the benefits of music therapy and art therapy and endeavour to educate the community about the benefits of music therapy and art therapy.

To bring joy into people’s lives, to create meaningful connections between people and to help people know their worth and reach their potential – through music and art.

Our Address

16/363 Hillsborough Road
Warners Bay NSW 2282