Music Therapist / Musiek terapeut

Holding Space - Hermi Viljoen & Mareli McDuling

Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 13:00-18:00
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 13:00-18:00
Saturday: 9:00-12:00
Sunday: closed
*After hour sessions are available on request

Contact number

060 620 8630
076 551 1127

Hermi Viljoen

Hermi is a board certified music therapist working with people of all walks of life. She completed her Masters Degree in music therapy in 2016 at the University of Pretoria. Music has been a passion of hers from a young age. She believes that music serves as a bridge that connects us with those around us on a deeper and personal level. This contributes towards strengthening relationships and seek to address psycho-social and emotional needs in a safe, confidential, and creative space.

Music Therapy sessions can be facilitated in group and individual settings. Caretakers and family members are encouraged to attend the sessions. It is important to ensure that your music therapist is a board certified arts therapist with the Health Professions council of South Africa (HPCSA). This is to ensure you receive the highest quality music therapy services offered to you and your loved ones.

Mareli Mcduling

Mareli graduated with her Music Therapy Master’s degree at the University of Pretoria, and completed her standard training in Neurologic Music Therapy through the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy, USA. She has experience working with children, teenagers and adults with intellectual and physical impairments, developmental delays, autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, brain injury, trauma, depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Mareli is passionate about working with children, teenagers, and adults from all walks of life, and values the unique perspective that each person brings to the therapy space. She believes that every child connects with music in their own unique and meaningful way, and aims to provide a responsive, supportive and creative environment for each client. With a deep curiosity and love for learning, Mareli enjoys combining her understanding of music and neuroscience to develop new skills and to support inner growth. She truly believes in the incredible power of music to bring about positive change, promote well-being, and strengthen the bond between children, their families, and their world.

Treatments and Diagnosis

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Music therapy supports individuals with autism by providing structured, predictable, and motivating experiences that enhance communication, social, and emotional skills. Music engages attention and promotes interaction through shared rhythm and turn-taking. It helps develop nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, gesture, and joint attention. Singing and instrument play encourage verbal expression and listening. The rhythmic and sensory nature of music helps regulate emotions and reduce anxiety. Over time, these interventions strengthen social connection, flexibility, and self-expression.

Speech development and/or delay

Rhythm and pitch are a natural part of us as human beings as we respond to certain sounds instinctively since infancy. The human body naturally responds to pitch and rhythm because it matches our everyday bodily functions. We walk in rhythm, our hearts beat in rhythm, and we change the tone and pitch of our voices to express emotions and communicate our needs to others.

Music therapy supports speech development and delays by using rhythm, melody, and repetition to stimulate language centres in the brain. Singing and vocal play strengthen breath control, articulation, and phonation. Rhythmic patterns improve timing and pacing of speech. Call-and-response and lyric-based activities encourage turn-taking, listening, and word formation. Melody and prosody help develop tone, inflection, and expressive language. Over time, these techniques enhance clarity, vocabulary, and overall communication skills. These techniques to enhance this communication are encouraged and strengthened during music therapy sessions.

Neurological rehabilitation for traumatic brain injuries, stroke and dementia/Alzheimer Disease

Music therapy supports neurological rehabilitation by engaging both hemispheres of the brain, promoting neuroplasticity and functional recovery. In traumatic brain injury and stroke, rhythmic auditory cues help retrain gait, motor coordination, and speech through rhythm and timing. Melodic intonation therapy can assist language recovery when speech centres are damaged. For dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, familiar music activates long-term memory networks, reduces agitation, and improves mood and cognitive engagement. Overall, music therapy enhances emotional well-being, supports cognitive function, and improves quality of life in neurological recovery.

Mental health support for teenagers and young adults

In individual music therapy for teenagers and young adults, music becomes a personalized tool for emotional exploration and self-expression. Techniques such as songwriting, lyric discussion, and improvisation help clients process emotions that may be difficult to verbalize. Listening and relaxation exercises support stress reduction and mood regulation. Personalized sessions strengthen coping strategies, self-awareness, and self-esteem while promoting emotional balance. The therapist tailors the music experience to the client’s needs, allowing safe expression and personal growth.

Corporate teambuilding and conflict resolution group sessions

Music therapy in corporate teambuilding and conflict resolution uses collaborative music-making to improve communication, trust, and group cohesion. Activities such as drumming circles, songwriting, or improvisation promote listening, cooperation, and shared leadership. Creating music together breaks down hierarchy, encourages creative problem-solving, and builds empathy among team members. Rhythm and group synchronization enhance unity and reduce tension, helping participants manage stress and approach conflict with openness and mutual respect.

Private piano, singing and music theory lessons

It is beneficial to learn how to play a musical instrument as it strengthens eye-hand co-ordination and fine motor skills. It also teaches a child a lot about discipline, dedication and the rewards of hard work.

Private piano, flute and music theory lessons are available on the PETC premises. We are proficient in preparing pupils for practical and theoretical examinations such as UNISA, Trinity and ABRSM. We can teach classical and light music, dependent on the pupils request. Beginners and all ages are welcome.

Testimonials

My Mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2007. She is now 96 years old and unfortunately her condition keeps on deteriorating at a slow paste. I however continuously seek methods to improve and help her. In May 2018 I requested Hermi to introduce Music Therapy to her.

Initially she started off on a weekly basis for the first 6 months to secure the routine, wheatear we could reduce it to a bi-weekly session. Hermi started with a well-known instrument like guitar and gradually introduced shakers, djembe drums and tambourines. I told Hermi which type of music and songs my Mother used to enjoy and from the word go my Mother enjoyed the sessions and took part with so much enthusiasm. I have several little videos that her care worker took to share with the family showing our Mother clapping hands, tapping feet, singing with so much joy that one can keep on watching it over and over. We will always treasure those happy moments which are so precious. My Mothers’s care workers also got involved in the group sessions as well which helped them as well. Certain songs brought memories back that she did not mention in ages. Whenever she would get anxious now or feels upset, we will just start singing and all will be well again.

I am so grateful towards Hermi for the way she treated my Mother. Dementia patients are not the easiest patients to work with if you do not understand them but she always has the utmost respect, patients and empathy for my Mother and her condition. Not only is Hermi a wonderful musician but definitely well suited for a career path as a Music Therapist. I can highly recommend her.

As the mom of a type 1 diabetic, one would think that I had it all figured out when it came to caring for all my daughter’s needs – not only on a physical level, but also emotionally. What we don’t understand as parents, or individuals who don’t have to live with a life threatening chronic disease, is that there is a constant inner war that these super heroes have to fight day in, and day out. An emotional battle, anger, frustration, some days a feeling of hopelessness, fear of being “too different”. There is a lot of loneliness, because diabetes sometimes forces isolation because of its demands. And often times, our children don’t speak about it, because, well, the world is a judgemental place and nobody understands! Or they don’t know how to out their emotions into words so that we can try understand.

In July 2018, I had lost a part of my child to this loneliness, spurred on by the loss of our beloved family dog, Roxy. Roxy who always seemed to know when Madi needed someone just to lie a little closer to her, or needed some extra attention because it was an “off” day – she was Madi’s number 1 companion. Madi was unable to explain to me what she was feeling. But I saw her disappearing into a world of sadness, grief and loneliness. She wasn’t talking, she just cried and completely isolated herself.

Having met Hermi a few weeks prior to this, and learning more about what she did, I decided to give music therapy a try (Madi wasn’t speaking so what would a regular therapist help?). After just a few sessions, I felt like my child had re-emerged: stronger, calmer, more in control, better able to plot her feelings and emotions, going back to what she had learnt in her sessions with Hermi for an outlet. What Hermi did for my daughter can never be applauded, praised or boasted about enough! Taking this little human’s heart, emotions and feelings, creating a safe space for her to just “feel” and let it out, I am forever thankful and I stand in complete awe of her work.

Her passion for her calling, her COMPASSION for her patients, her professionalism, her kindness, her calm – Hermi will forever be my “Madi whisperer”!

Michelle B – Madi’s mom

My dogtertjie het vir die afgelope 4 jaar by juffrou Hermi klavierles vandat sy 7 jaar oud was. Van al die buitemuurse aktiwiteite wat sy al probeer het, is dit die een wat sy nog nooit 'n verskoning uitgedink het om nie te gaan nie.

Ek dink die groot bydraende faktor is dat sy baie van haar jufffou Hermi hou. Sy sê wat lekker is, is dat die les altyd interessant is en dat juffrou vriendelik is, maar ook bietjie kwaai as dit nodig is.

Ek sal Hermi enige dag aanbeveel vir musieklesse. Haar passie vir musiek en haar fyn aanvoeling vir kinders maak haar 'n uitstekende keuse.

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Contact Details

Address

390 Manitoba Drive, Faerie Glen

Telephone Number

060 620 8630

076 551 1127

Hours