In-person training (online delivery available by enquiry)
Foundations of Playing and Sound Awareness for Wellbeing Contexts
CPD Accredited Training | One-to-One Learning | Practical Experience
Discover how sound can be used to support wellbeing through practical learning, listening, instrument exploration and individual guidance.
This course is now available as one-to-one training, giving you the time and space to learn at your own pace, work with different sound instruments, ask questions and develop your knowledge and confidence.
Training takes place in my private teaching space beside WWT Castle Espie, near Comber, County Down, with dates arranged individually.
One-to-One Training: £397
Two individual sessions of 2.5 hours each, followed by an online or in-person wrap-up session.
5 hours of accredited CPD learning, with additional time for reflection and questions.
Small-group training opportunities may also be available throughout the year at selected venues.
Whether you're exploring sound for your own wellbeing or interested in bringing sound into your professional practice, this course offers a practical and supportive introduction.
If you'd like to find out more or discuss whether this training is right for you, please get in touch.
“This training was exactly what I was looking for to deepen awareness and bring sound more thoughtfully into my work.” - Wellbeing Practitioner
Qualified and insured wellbeing practitioners, including those working in yoga, movement, body-based, or therapeutic contexts, who wish to integrate sound gently and ethically within their existing scope of practice.
Professionals working in wellbeing, community, or supportive settings who wish to explore sound as part of a relational and attentive approach to their work.
Individuals with no professional background who wish to explore sound for personal practice and self-care only, without any intention to offer sound professionally.
Those specifically interested in working with sound in child-centred or early years settings may wish to explore the dedicated CPD training available in Sound for Wellbeing in Child-Centred Settings.
This training is particularly suited to practitioners who:
Value attentive listening and awareness as a foundation for working with sound
Wish to use sound as a supportive element for settling, transition, and presence
Prioritise sensitivity, pacing, choice, and ethical consideration when working with others
Practitioners working in educational, care, or community settings may find this course valuable as reflective CPD, offering a grounded introduction to listening, pacing, and sensory awareness rather than clinical training.
This training is experiential and grounded in practice. Sound is explored through listening, gentle playing, and response, with attention to how it is experienced within the body and in context.
Playing is introduced as an inquiry-based and responsive process, with emphasis on:
Awareness of bodily and nervous system response
Sensitivity to volume, pacing, touch, and space
Responsiveness rather than performance
Ethical considerations including choice, consent, and context
Participants are supported to work within appropriate boundaries and scope.
This training offers 5 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
It is offered as professional development and supports participants to work with sound within their existing scope of practice.
Participants are responsible for ensuring that any integration of sound aligns with their professional scope, insurance requirements, and organisational or regulatory policies.
Your Level 1 training is delivered through two individual, in-person sessions of three hours each, followed by an online or in-person wrap-up session.
This approach gives you time between sessions to reflect on your learning, explore your own interests and develop your confidence in working with sound.
Dates are arranged individually, allowing us to plan your training around your availability.
Optional online learning materials and recorded resources are also available to support your learning and continued development.
Foundations of Sound Awareness and Playing
An experiential training in working with sound as a relational and sensory practice. Participants explore attentive listening and responsive playing, with awareness of bodily and nervous system responses, pacing, sensitivity, and context.
Developing Playing and Discernment
A deeper exploration of responsive, listening-based playing, with attention to how sound may be integrated within personal or professional contexts. Emphasis is placed on discernment, restraint, and ethical awareness, including when to use sound and when not to use sound.
Integration and Practice
Time is held for integration, discussion, and consolidation, supporting participants to explore appropriate scope of practice in a grounded and thoughtful way.
Two individual, in-person training Your Level 1 training includes two individual, in-person sessions of 2.5 hours each, followed by an online or in-person wrap-up session.
The course provides 5 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with additional time for reflection, questions and continued learning.
Supporting online learning materials and resources are also available.
Participants learn through experience, observation, and reflection to:
Develop a foundational understanding of sound as a relational and sensory experience
Cultivate attentive listening and embodied awareness of sound
Explore sound and instruments for personal practice and practitioner self-care
Develop confidence in foundational playing approaches with commonly used instruments
Understand how sound may be integrated alongside existing wellbeing practices
Develop discernment around when to use sound and when not to use sound
This training offers contextual understanding of sound experiences often referred to as “sound baths”, without preparing participants to deliver these as a standalone practice.
Elements of this work are further supported through the Sound Space Connect® framework, introduced within shorter CPD training formats, as a practical approach to understanding and responding to sound in everyday environments.
This training may be followed by further learning for those wishing to deepen their exploration of listening-based and responsive sound practice. It does not, on its own, qualify participants as therapeutic sound practitioners.
Level 1 supports the development of foundational listening and playing skills, alongside awareness of felt sense and bodily response to sound as a basis for safe and considered practice, rather than therapeutic intervention.
One-to-One Training: £397
Your course includes two individual, in-person training sessions of three hours each, followed by an online or in-person wrap-up session.
You'll also have access to supporting online learning materials and resources.
Training dates are arranged individually, allowing us to find a schedule that works for you.
To enquire about availability or arrange your training, please get in touch.
Level 1 training will also be available in small groups at selected venues throughout Northern Ireland.
If you'd prefer to learn alongside others, you're welcome to register your interest in upcoming 2027 dates.
Exploring sound as a relational and sensory experience, grounded in listening, awareness, and context.
Attention is given to individual variability, nervous system response, and ethical considerations such as choice, pacing, consent, and safety.
Developing listening through sound, silence, and observation.
Exploring responsive playing, approaching instruments as tools for exploration and response.
Cultivating attunement, restraint, and sensitivity to sound, space, and context.
Exploring how sound may be gently integrated within personal practice or existing wellbeing contexts.
Developing awareness of how sound can support settling, transition, and presence, alongside discernment around when to use sound and when not to use sound.
A range of sound sources are explored as tools for listening, awareness, and inquiry, with an emphasis on responsive and attentive playing.
These may include Tibetan and crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums, tuning forks, percussion, and the voice.
No prior musical experience is required.
This training is suitable for practitioners and non-practitioners who are drawn to an attentive and integrative approach to working with sound, grounded in listening, awareness, and discernment.
It may be particularly relevant if you are working in, or are curious about, contexts such as:
Wellbeing, movement, or body-based practices
Creative arts or music-related work
Education, care, or community settings
Meditation or mindfulness facilitation
Those working in clinical, educational, or care settings may find this training valuable as professional development, with the understanding that it does not provide clinical or therapeutic intervention training.
If you are unsure whether this training is appropriate for your role, experience, or scope of practice, you are welcome to contact Tessa Ann for a conversation before enrolling.
The next small-group training is currently open for booking.
Places are limited to a maximum of three participants to support a calm, attentive learning environment.
If you are unable to attend the listed dates, or would like to explore future or bespoke options, you are welcome to contact Tessa Ann at:
tessa@tessaunltd.com
Level 1 Integrative Sound for Wellbeing training is also available for group bookings within schools, educational settings, community organisations and workplaces.
Training can be arranged for your team or organisation, with content and delivery tailored to your setting, participants and learning needs.
Please get in touch to discuss your requirements, availability and group training options.ay be most appropriate.
The Sound Spa
Comber (beside WWT Castle Espie)
County Down
BT23 6EA
For some participants, Level 1 offers a complete and self-contained experience.
For others, it marks the beginning of a deeper exploration into how sound is integrated within personal or professional practice.
An Integration and Mentoring Pathway is available for those who wish to continue developing their understanding through supported practice, reflection, and real-world application.
This pathway supports the transition from initial learning into lived, embodied practice, with a focus on how sound is played, experienced, and responded to in context.
Participants often describe this training as a supportive experience that deepens listening, awareness, and sensitivity to sound.
Trusting my intuition, I was guided to Tessa to begin my learning with sound. Completing the Level 1 workshop has been one of the best experiences. Tessa’s knowledge and understanding of sound is deep and profound, yet she teaches in a simple, grounded, and accessible way. She creates a joyful, welcoming atmosphere where learning feels calm and supported. This course was exactly what I was looking for to deepen awareness and bring sound more thoughtfully into my existing wellbeing work.
The Level 1 course with Tessa was amazing — I learned so much more than I expected. It felt like a personal journey of discovery and opened my awareness to how sound and instruments can support my existing classes in a more sensitive and considered way. Tessa is a very special teacher who creates a welcoming, relaxed environment where you instantly feel at ease and open to learning. Thank you, Tessa.
I found this training extremely valuable and thought-provoking. It really highlighted the impact sound has on our everyday lives, and how differently sound can be experienced by each person — and each child.
I loved the training — it was unlike anything I had experienced before. The immersive sound experience, combined with shared reflection and discussion, really supported my understanding of how differently people respond to sound.
Tessa Ann is a sound practitioner, educator, and facilitator with over three decades of experience working with sound, wellbeing, and sensory awareness across a wide range of contexts.
She is the founder of Tessa UN Ltd and creator of The Sound Healing Spa, where she delivers listening-led training, CPD, and sound-based wellbeing experiences.
Her work centres on supporting awareness, presence, and sensitivity, with a focus on building strong foundations for both personal and professional practice.
Drawing on a background in sound and music, yoga, movement facilitation, and trauma-aware practice, she offers a calm, responsive, and integrative teaching approach grounded in listening, observation, and ethical awareness.
This training supports professional development and does not prepare participants to deliver standalone sound therapy or sound bath sessions.
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