Hi, I’m Claire. I'm a qualified sound therapy practitioner with a Master’s degree in Music, a higher diploma in sound therapy, and ongoing training in trauma-informed and somatic sound therapy. I support mental clarity, emotional wellbeing and physical health through 1:1 and group sessions. My approach is grounded in neuroscience, somatic principles, and my lifelong background as a musician and music educator.

My practice offers a professional, science-based alternative to talking therapy for people who need something deeper, gentler, or simply different. Somatic pioneers like Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk and Gabor Maté have shown that trauma isn’t healed through storytelling alone, it is held and healed through the body. Sound therapy works directly with the nervous system, which means clients don’t need to talk, explain, or revisit painful memories for the process to be effective.

There's no pressure to disclose anything, no risk of being misunderstood or misinterpreted, no emotional overexposure, no need to re-enter traumatic narratives or relive old stories. Instead, the work is quiet, internal and deeply regulating. It gives people a safe way to process emotions and a way for the body to start releasing what it’s been holding, at its own pace.

I’m doing this work because of my own personal journey with trauma, and because of the extensive research I’ve done into both somatic healing and the profound impact sound has on the body emotionally, mentally and physically. My practice brings both of these worlds together: music as medicine, and the body as the place where healing actually happens. Sound therapy has been life-changing for so many people I’ve worked with, and I’m determined to make this work accessible to more people who need it.

Why I’m Fundraising

Over the past few years, I’ve been building Flame Lily Sound Therapy with almost no safety net. I hold British citizenship, but was born and grew up in Zimbabwe during years of economic instability. When I moved to the UK six years ago, it was to find stability, safety, and a chance to heal, but although I thought my hardest chapters were behind me, the most painful trauma I’ve ever lived through happened here in the UK. Even while navigating that, I kept studying, training, and building this practice because I know how badly this work is needed. Financial instability meant moving repeatedly and accumulating debts simply from trying to survive. Through all of it, I held onto the vision of a therapeutic space where people didn't need to speak their pain out loud.

I now have a dedicated sound therapy studio and have equipped it as much as I can through a government start-up loan, but there are still essential items needed to complete the setup properly, including specialised vibration-based instruments that allow Deaf clients to feel sound through their bodies.

To support myself while building the practice, I trained and worked as a 24-hour live-in carer. However, it is now time to commit fully to Flame Lily Sound Therapy: not as a hobby, not as something built slowly on the side, but as my life’s calling.

To give this practice a real chance to grow, I need a period of stability: one year where I can focus fully on the work instead of constantly trying to survive crisis after crisis. This fundraiser will allow me to run Flame Lily Sound Therapy properly, support clients consistently, reach more people, finish my trauma-informed qualification, and build a foundation strong enough to sustain the business long-term.

This year of stability will let me dedicate myself to this work with clarity and focus, instead of operating in survival mode.

How the Funds Will Be Used

Here’s how the £95,000 will be used. It covers the final setup costs, essential equipment, one full year of operational stability, and basic living expenses while I build Flame Lily Sound Therapy into a sustainable practice.

Operational Costs – £30,373.88

These are the essential costs required to run Flame Lily Sound Therapy for one year, including studio rent, transport, business loan repayments, utilities, website hosting, software, booking systems, cloud storage, insurance, work mobile costs, small equipment replacements and other expenses.

Annual Memberships – £535.00

Professional memberships, accreditation bodies, and regulatory registrations that allow me to practise safely, ethically, and in line with industry standards.

Specialist Instruments – £7,507.00

This covers the purchase of therapeutic-grade monochords and related equipment needed to complete the studio setup. These instruments allow sound to be felt through the body, not just heard, making sessions fully accessible for Deaf clients. This includes body-placement monochords, a baby monochord extension, an immersive monochord bed, protective bags, stands, and shipping.

Remaining Setup Costs – £7,338.00

The final items needed to complete the studio so it’s fully functional, comfortable and professionally equipped — including heat-reducing blinds, lighting adjustments, furniture, storage, client comfort items, and essential equipment.

Marketing and Outreach – £19,823.65

To reach people who genuinely need this work. This includes digital marketing, photography, videography, website updates, printed materials, and attending wellbeing shows and local business expos so I can raise awareness and connect with clients who would benefit from trauma-informed sound therapy.

Debt Repayment – £6,241.00

Personal Expenses – £23,000.00

The basic cost of living for one year: food, rent, council tax, transport, clothing, essential bills, medical needs and children’s expenses.

Why This Matters

A lot of people struggle with their mental and emotional health but don’t know how to talk about it, or simply can’t. Some freeze. Some shut down. Some get re-traumatised by retelling their story over and over. Others don’t trust the system, or feel too overwhelmed to begin. Many now recognise that trauma is stored in the body and that healing must happen there, too, not just in the mind. And some people just don't know what the 'problem' is exactly. For all of these people, talking therapy isn’t always the right place to start. Sound therapy gives them a different doorway in.

Sound reaches places that words cannot. It works directly with the nervous system through vibration, resonance and bodily awareness, helping the body release tension and old emotional patterns that have been held for years. I’ve seen people experience deep calm, unexpected emotional breakthroughs, and relief they didn’t know was possible. One client described herself as a “changed woman” after letting go of a grudge she had held for 65 years without even realising. Another said she gained more in one session than in years of talking therapy.

This work can change lives — gently, safely, and without forcing anyone to speak before they’re ready.

With one year of stability, I can offer this consistently and reach the people who would benefit most.

Thank You

Thank you for reading my story and taking the time to understand the heart behind this work. Any contribution you can make will make a genuine difference, be it by making a donation or by simply sharing the link with someone who can. Your support means I can continue offering a safe, gentle, trauma-informed space for people who need another way to heal. Thank you, truly, for believing in this work and for helping Flame Lily Sound Therapy take its next step forward.