Applying sound within real-world child-centred practice
In person | Small group | Personalised one-to-one | Organisational delivery
Delivered either as a one-day course (6 hours) or over two days (3-hour sessions each day), depending on your learning preference, this CPD explores how sound is experienced by children and young people, and how it may support wellbeing, engagement, and self-regulation, or contribute to sensory and emotional overwhelm within everyday environments.
Through guided listening, gentle instrument playing, and reflective discussion, participants develop an understanding of sound as a sensory and relational experience.
The training provides opportunities to explore how different sounds, sound qualities, and instruments may be introduced within existing professional roles, including simple, responsive approaches to listening, playing, and structuring activities appropriate to different children, young people, and settings.
Participants are supported to recognise individual differences in sound perception and sensitivity, working with principles of pacing, restraint, choice, and responsiveness. Throughout the training, consideration is also given to professional boundaries, scope of practice, consent, and safeguarding within child-centred environments.
“It really highlighted the impact sound has on our everyday lives, and how differently it can be experienced by each person – and each child.”
Early Years Practitioner
This training combines guided listening, gentle instrument playing, and reflective discussion to develop practical understanding and support the thoughtful application of sound within your existing setting.
The training is centred on awareness, responsiveness, and the safe integration of sound into existing professional practice. It is not focused on performance, therapeutic intervention, or musical technique.
Rather than teaching fixed methods or prescribed sequences, this training encourages practitioners to develop awareness of how sound is experienced by each child, each group, and within each environment.
Listening is approached as both an observational and professional skill. Participants learn to observe how sound is perceived, recognise individual differences in sensory experience, and make thoughtful decisions about when sound may be supportive, when it may be unhelpful, and when silence may be the most appropriate response.
Throughout the training, instruments are explored as tools for listening, relationship, and responsive interaction rather than performance or therapeutic intervention.
The emphasis is not on learning routines to reproduce, but on developing confidence, discernment, and professional judgement that can be applied flexibly within existing roles and different child-centred settings.
This training is offered as professional development and does not provide therapeutic or clinical intervention training.
It supports practitioners to develop greater awareness of how sound is experienced, and to introduce sound more thoughtfully and responsively within their existing professional role and responsibilities.
This training does not prepare participants to deliver therapeutic sound sessions or sound baths with children. Instead, it explores how sound may be introduced thoughtfully and responsively within existing educational, creative, wellbeing, and support roles.
This training is designed for professionals working in child-centred settings who wish to explore how sound may be used in a way that is responsive, appropriate, and grounded in their existing role.
This may include:
Early Years Practitioners
Nursery and Primary Teachers
SENCOs and SEND Practitioners
Classroom Assistants
Sure Start Staff
Children's Arts Practitioners already working within educational or community settings
Children's Wellbeing Practitioners working within their existing professional scope
This training is particularly suited to those who:
Are interested in how sound may support regulation, presence, and transition
Wish to explore sound in a way that is sensitive to individual needs and environments
Value a thoughtful, relational approach rather than fixed methods or performance
Participants are expected to work within an existing professional role, and the training supports the development of awareness and application within that context.
This training is focused on professional application within child-centred settings and does not include the broader exploration of sound offered in my other professional development programmes.
"This was a very meaningful experience. I had never fully considered the impact of sound before, and it has given me lots of food for thought within my teaching practice.”
Olivia, Nursery Teacher, Belfast
“I absolutely loved the Sound Awareness training and left inspired to try these ideas within my setting. Tessa has taught me so much.”
Jennifer, Nursery Teacher, Belfast
The principles explored within this training are applicable across a wide range of child-centred environments.
Whilst the core learning outcomes remain the same, practical discussions, examples, and activities can be adapted to reflect the professional backgrounds and interests of participants, allowing the training to become directly relevant to their existing role and setting.
Examples may include:
Parent and baby programmes
Early Years settings
Nursery and preschool
Primary education
SEND provision
Family support services
Community and wellbeing programmes
The focus remains on applying the principles explored during the training in ways that are appropriate to your professional role and setting.
This means the same core training can be meaningfully explored across different professional settings while remaining grounded in the same principles of sound awareness, responsive practice, and professional judgement.
Sound as a sensory and relational experience
How qualities of sound — tone, rhythm, volume, and texture — are perceived
Variability in sound experience across environment, context, and individual sensitivity
Developing listening through sound, silence, and observation
Exploring responsive approaches to playing and using sound
Working with sound safely, with attention to pacing, volume, choice, and response
Supporting settling, transition, and presence
Recognising sound sensitivities
Reflecting on when to use — and when not to use — sound
Exploring flexible session flow as a responsive guide
Adapting sound use based on context and individual needs
You will explore example ways of structuring sessions, supporting you to integrate sound awareness into your existing role in a way that is responsive, safe, and appropriate to your setting.
Example activities and session frameworks are shared to illustrate how sound awareness can be introduced within child-centred environments. These are offered as adaptable examples rather than fixed programmes or prescribed approaches.
Participants explore a range of sounds, instruments, and approaches, considering how different sound qualities may be experienced within different contexts. Rather than promoting fixed techniques or universal responses, the training develops the observation, listening, and professional judgement needed to make responsive decisions for each child, each group, and each environment.
This training aligns with principles from the Sound Space Connect® framework, a practical approach to understanding and responding to sound in everyday environments.
One-day (6 hours) or two-day (3-hour sessions) delivery, depending on your learning preference.
Small-group format with guided discussion, practical exploration, and reflection
For practitioners who would benefit from a more personalised learning experience, this training is also available on a one-to-one basis.
One-to-one learning is delivered over two 3-hour sessions, allowing time for reflection, observation, and practical application between sessions. This format supports deeper discussion, individual questions, and the opportunity to consider how the principles explored can be applied within your own professional role and setting.
The core learning outcomes remain the same as the small-group programme, while the learning experience is tailored to your professional context using the principles outlined in Applying the Learning Within Your Professional Setting. This provides space to explore your own questions, experiences, and implementation in greater depth.
This format provides additional time to reflect, ask questions, and consider how the learning can be meaningfully integrated into your own professional practice.
Available in-person or online
Suitable for schools, Sure Starts, educational settings, and community organisations
Alternative delivery formats, including shorter multi-session pathways and personalised practitioner support, are available by enquiry
Please get in touch to discuss the most appropriate format for your organisation, team, or professional role.
By the end of this training, you will be able to:
Understand how children and young people may experience sound differently
Recognise and respond to signs of sound sensitivity and overload
Apply sound with awareness of pacing, volume, and restraint
Support sensory awareness, emotional safety, and calmer participation through sound awareness and responsive use of sound
Work with sound in a way that is ethically grounded within your professional role
Reflect on safeguarding, consent, and responsibility in practice
Sound is present in every child-centred environment.
When used without awareness, it can contribute to overwhelm.
When approached with sensitivity, sound can support calmer sensory experiences, connection, and a sense of safety.
This training helps you recognise the difference, and respond in a way that is appropriate to your setting.
This training has been developed through reflective professional practice, collaboration with practitioners, ongoing evaluation, and engagement with research and professional literature relating to sound, listening, sensory experience, environmental acoustics, and inclusive practice.
Rather than promoting fixed techniques or universal responses, the training encourages participants to think critically about how sound is perceived within different environments and by different individuals. It supports practitioners to make informed, ethical, and context-sensitive decisions that remain appropriate to their professional role, organisational policies, and the needs of the children and young people they support.
The content continues to evolve through participant feedback, reflective evaluation, and ongoing professional development.
Participants who successfully complete the programme receive a CPD Certificate of Attendance.
This programme provides 5 hours of CPD-certified learning.
It is designed to support professional development within existing roles and does not provide therapeutic or clinical certification.
£397
or
2 monthly instalments of £198.50
Payment by instalments is available for participants booking in advance. The full course fee must be paid before attendance.
Schools, organisations, charities, and public sector services are welcome to enquire about organisational bookings.
Invoicing is available, with invoice terms agreed in advance.
Participants will explore a range of sound sources as tools for listening, awareness, and responsive practice.
These may include:
Singing bowls
Percussion
Gongs
Drums
Voice
No prior musical experience is required.
Instruments and Materials
A small selection of starter instruments may be available for purchase on the day.
Participants will also receive the resource Magical Sounds, supporting continued reflection and exploration beyond the training.
One-day and two-day small-group CPD options are offered on selected dates throughout the year.
You are welcome to join a scheduled small-group programme, enquire about a personalised one-to-one learning experience, or discuss bespoke delivery for your organisation or professional setting.
If you would like to begin your learning sooner, or would prefer a programme tailored to your professional role and setting, personalised one-to-one CPD is available by enquiry.
One-to-one learning is delivered over two 3-hour sessions.
Public small-group dates will be announced shortly.
Small-group programmes are intentionally limited to three participants to support a calm, attentive learning environment with space for discussion, reflection, and individual exploration.
An optional follow-up reflection and implementation session is available by enquiry to support participants as they begin applying the learning within their own professional setting.
The Sound Healing Spa
Comber (beside WWT Castle Espie)
Co. Down
BT23 6EA
Tessa Ann is a sound practitioner, sound artist, 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, offering practitioner training, CPD, and sound-based wellbeing experiences grounded in listening, awareness, and relational practice.
Her work centres on developing sound awareness, responsive practice, and professional judgement, supporting practitioners to apply sound thoughtfully within their existing professional roles.
Tessa has worked across education, community, organisational, and creative environments. Drawing on a background in sound, music, yoga, movement, and trauma-aware practice, she offers a calm, responsive, and integrative approach grounded in observation, listening, and ethical awareness.
“I found this training extremely valuable and thought-provoking. It highlighted the impact sound has on everyday life, and how differently it can be experienced by each person — and each child.”
“I loved the day’s training — it was unlike anything I had experienced before. The immersive sound experience, combined with reflection and discussion, really supported my understanding of how differently people respond to sound.”
If you would like to attend an upcoming training or explore a personalised one-to-one or bespoke option for yourself or your setting, you are very welcome to get in touch.
The training is designed to provide a calm and supportive learning experience, with opportunities for reflection, discussion, and practical exploration that can be tailored to your professional role and setting.
Small-group places are intentionally limited to three participants, creating space for attentive learning, meaningful discussion, and individual support throughout the day.
Designed for real-world application in child-centred settings
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