Our Tenuto Therapists

Marcus has over 30 years’ experience of leadership in the education, charity and voluntary sectors, working with children, young people and adults in the good times, and supporting them when things are more difficult.

He is also a music therapist. Music therapy is a creative psychotherapy, the evidence-based clinical use of musical interventions to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs and improve clients' quality of life.

He is an active musician himself, and one of his passions is for therapeutic songwriting, which can be extremely powerful for emotional processing, social stability and the transformation of a client’s self-image.

But, as a therapist, he is integrative, finding it useful to adapt and combine different therapeutic tools and modalities – music, art, movement, drama. These creative approaches can supplement any verbal interactions, maximising engagement and participation in order to support the whole person.

Marcus is also person-centred, emphasising the client’s needs and empowering them – as far as possible – to discover their own solutions to what may be troubling them. His mission as a therapist is to support children, young people and adults on journeys of self-expression, self-discovery and increased emotional stability.

Amy has worked in music education for over 12 years, teaching voice and piano to children and teenagers. She has a passion for those on the edges of school life who might have behavioural or mental health needs, using music to help
them overcome personal challenges. She has also enjoyed playing music with older adults in care homes, providing fun and interactive performances over the last few years.

Amy is also a qualified music therapist and has enjoyed working with people from all age groups throughout her training. She is passionate about people and loves to form authentic connections in music therapy, finding out about her clients’ worlds and how she can work with them towards their therapeutic goals.

She is a resource-oriented music therapist, which means that she believes every client has strengths, skills and gold within them which can be utilised to make changes towards their goals. She is not an “expert” coming in to fix a problem but wants to work together with a client and their existing strengths, allowing for change to occur.

In music therapy, Amy helps people to overcome personal challenges and explore their emotions and experiences, through playful music making, listening and therapeutic songwriting.

As a therapist with decades of experience in movement and well-being, Shirley has been offering private Psychotherapy and Dance Movement Psychotherapy since 2015, both one to one and group. In private practice she works mostly with bereavement, depression, anxiety and trauma - particularly older adults with longstanding childhood trauma and the difficulties this presents in later life. Since 2019, Shirley has expanded her private practice to working with people online.

Shirley's clients include people who are experiencing the affects of bereavement, depression, abuse, addiction and emotional difficulties, as well as conditions such as Dementia, Autism, Schizophrenia and Bi-Polar Disorder. She also work with clients seeking personal growth self-exploration or self-understanding.

Nicola is an Art Psychotherapist based in Central Lancashire, with experience working with young people in youth work and mental health services. She helps both young people and adults with issues such as identity, anxiety, and grief. She also understands ADHD and how art therapy can aid in emotional regulation and self-compassion. Her specialism includes working with individuals who have experienced spiritual abuse, coercive control, religious deconstruction, or a faith crisis that leads to leaving a high-demand religion. Nicola has a deep understanding of the complexities of spirituality and religion for these individuals.

Nicola currently offer online one-to-one sessions, but is happy to discuss in-person options. These could include travelling to schools or organisations, or using a hired and confidential space that she has access to locally.
Her working days are Mondays and Tuesdays but she also has some flexibility with evenings and weekends if needed.