Claire Molyneux

Claire Molyneux is a Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), where she serves as the Lead for Music Therapy and Course Leader for both the MA Music Therapy and MA Dramatherapy programs. She is a key member of the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research (CIMTR) within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. With over 20 years of clinical experience as a registered music therapist, she divides her time between teaching, research, clinical work, and supervision across multiple settings including dementia care, autism support, and palliative services.

Claire's educational background includes:

• PG Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Anglia Ruskin University
• PG Certificate in Health Sciences (Advanced Psychotherapy Practice: Clinical Supervision), AUT, Auckland
• MA in Music Therapy, Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge
• PG Diploma in Music Therapy, Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge
• BA (Hons) from De Montfort University, Leicester

Claire's research focuses on practical applications of music therapy across diverse populations. Her primary interests include music therapy supervision techniques, palliative care applications, autism spectrum disorder interventions, and dementia care. She has particular expertise in how music and arts-based techniques enhance supervision practices for healthcare professionals. Her work consistently emphasizes building therapeutic relationships and developing client-centered approaches that address communication barriers and emotional wellbeing.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward adapting music therapy for dementia care during the pandemic, demonstrating innovative approaches to maintaining therapeutic connections through online platforms. Her work spans clinical case studies, research methodology development, and practical applications across healthcare settings. Significant themes include collaborative practice models, goal setting in therapy, and cultural considerations in therapeutic approaches, with particular attention to how music therapy can maintain human connection during challenging circumstances.

Claire holds professional recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and maintains dual registration with both the UK Health and Care Professions Council and the New Zealand Music Therapy Registration Board, reflecting her international professional standing and commitment to clinical excellence.

Claire has extensive experience supervising both newly qualified and experienced music therapists and arts therapists. She secured a New Zealand Lottery Community Sector Research Grant (2009-2010) for collaborative action research on goal setting in music therapy for children with special needs. Her current work includes leading the "Together in Sound" project, a partnership between Saffron Hall and CIMTR that provides group music therapy for people with dementia and their companions, which she successfully transitioned to online delivery during the pandemic.

Claire is actively involved with the "Together in Sound" project, a pioneering partnership between Saffron Hall in Essex and the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research. This initiative leverages professional musicians and MA trainees to deliver group music therapy sessions for people living with dementia and their companions. During the pandemic, she innovatively adapted these sessions to online formats, maintaining vital therapeutic connections that participants described as a "lifeline" during isolation periods.