About Susana
I am a registered counsellor with a Bachelor of Psychological Science, a Bachelor of Education, and a Diploma of Counselling. I have additional training in Play Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Childhood Trauma, Grief and loss, Child Abuse and Children’s development and Family relationships.
As a child and adolescent, I struggled with anxiety and depression. As a mother, I experienced post-natal depression with both of my children. As a daughter, my mother was taken from me after suffering from early-onset dementia. The combination of my life experiences and professional skills enables me to be insightful, knowledgeable, and understanding with clients.
I will be genuine and empathic whilst holding a non-judgemental space for clients to share their concerns. A solid therapeutic relationship is fundamental to providing good therapy, so I will ensure that my clients feel heard and validated as they get in touch with their emotions.
Helping people live their best life is central to my role as the facilitator of Sydney Drum Circles and the Future Footsteps Counsellor.
What is a Drum Circle?
A Drum circle is where people sit in a circle and create music using djembe drums. The rhythm created by the drum beats becomes the focus of attention leading to the motivation to make music together.
Sydney Drum Circles will be based on small groups of 10-12 people.
My slogan is – Feel your beat.
Music Therapy & Our Drums
Drum Therapy is an ancient method that uses rhythm to promote healing, calmness, and self-expression. From the shamans of Mongolia to the tribes of Africa, therapeutic rhythm techniques have been used for thousands of years to create and maintain physical, emotional, social and spiritual health.
A djembe drum is a fun and simple instrument to learn as an individual, but there is more to gain and experience when a group of people is learning together. Every person in the Drum Circle knows to work and play together as a team. As the group creates music together, everyone feels the sound and vibration of the drum.
Benefits of Drumming
Anyone can play the drum. If you can clap your hands, tap your feet, and count, you can play the drum, and there is no need to be able to read music.
Many benefits are achieved by playing the drum!
- Right- and left-hand coordination.
- Balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain, developing motor skills
- Develops hand and eye coordination
- Anger and frustration release
- Offers constructive direction, which encourages focus and self-discipline
- Encourages creative expression and flow of natural rhythm
- Self-confidence
- Teamwork (playing together as a group)
- Enhances well-being, joy and happiness
Sydney Drum Circles for the elderly
Music therapy can play an essential role in the care of the elderly and people with dementia to help express their feelings, communicate with others and prompt memories through listening, singing or playing an instrument.
Using Drums as therapy in aged care is a form of diversional treatment that is backed by current research, which indicates that the health benefits of wellness drumming can address specific needs in Aged Care, such as:
*Social Inclusion;
*Decreases stress with the lowering of cortisol levels;
*Improved autoimmune systems;
*Moderate non-strenuous exercise;
*Reduce feelings of depression;
*Helps with pain management
Sydney Drum circles for children
Drum circles stimulate multiple parts of a child’s brain, helping them develop social skills, manners, communication, self-control, emotional intelligence, self-confidence, attention span and listening skills.
Sydney Drum Circles uses drum circles to enhance creativity in children by encouraging them to create rhythms for the group to follow. A drum circle is free from judgement and improves self-esteem and team building.
The power of drum circles for children includes:
- Ability to focus inward as well as outward
- Develop self-awareness and self-esteem
- Mastery of breath and movement
- Ability to stay “on task.”
- Improve listening skills
- Increase Frustration Tolerance
- Channel aggressive/destructive impulses into creative and positive activity.
- Improves memory
- Uses imagination
Sydney Drum Circles for adults
Unlike traditional therapy, which uses voice which can be difficult for people, therapeutic drumming uses the drum as a tool for mindfulness practice and meditation. Being part of a drum circle can regulate the body’s nervous system through rhythm, which calms the body down, bringing them more into the present moment.
- It reduces feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
- It lowers blood pressure.
- It helps control chronic pain.
- It burns calories.
- It boosts brainpower and increases confidence levels.
- It improves coordination.
- It improves social life and increases overall feelings of happiness.
- Develop self-control, patience, and cooperation
Contact Us
Mobile: 0422 339 674
susananewcombe@gmail.com
Counselling services by appointment
Call or email for a free 15-minute phone consultation
$100 / 50 minute session
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