About John

John Garbutt G.Mus. PG.Cert. D.Hyp. (Adv) MIAPH.
I have worked for almost 30 years in mental health, residential care and special education helping people with emotional and behavioural problems, autistic spectrum disorders and dementia.

With a life long passion for music, both listening and performing, I found it an immensely powerful tool for engaging with people with special needs. I began to use it in my special needs teaching and to help reduce challenging behaviours with disturbed or anxious clients.

To take this further I took a graduate diploma in music specialising in working with people with special needs immediately after which I was appointed as Musician in Residence with Leicestershire NHS Psychiatric Services based a Carlton Hayes Psychiatric Hospital. Here I used music to work with people with dementia alongside the occupational therapy and physiotherapy departments. The work involved reminiscence therapy, attempting to maintain and build psychological contact and reduce anxiety and challenging behaviours.

From there I worked in a number of special schools and colleges where I began to take a great interest in Autistic Spectrum Disorders and how music could be used to help develop all the areas of the ‘triad of impairments’; social interaction, communication and creative imagination, whilst also recognising the importance and often overlooked area of sensory dysfunction.

This led me to set up Panacea Music in 1999 and since then I have continued my studies completing Postgraduate Studies with the University of Sheffield in the Psychology of Music which included developmental psychology, psychology of performance, music therapy and special education. I became a qualified provider of ‘The Listening Program’, an auditory integration system used predominantly for children with ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders and communication difficulties.

I continue to develop my knowledge and have qualified as an analytical hypnotherapist and I am currently studying for an MA in clinical counselling. This is providing the theoretical basis for my work placing it firmly in the Rogerian Person-Centred Approach. The focus of my work is completely on the client and using what they bring and building upon that.

The work is client-centred and not therapist-centred.

Clients include:

MENCAP,
Denbighshire County Council,
Flintshire CC,
Conwy CC,
Conwy Local Health Board
North East Wales Health Authority,
Barnardo’s,
Theatre Clwyd,
Numerous special schools and colleges.
Private individuals
C-SAW (North Wales) Ltd (Community Support for Autism in Wales)

Professional Membership:

Accredited Member of the International Association of Pure Hypnoanalysts.
Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Member of the British Association for the Person-Centred Approach
Member of the International Association for Forensic Psychotherapy
Member of Soundsense Community Music Association