Professor Helen Odell-Miller

Helen Odell-Miller

BA, LGSM, RMTh, MPhil, PhD

Deputy Head of Department
Professor of Music Therapy

Room: Hel 256

Email: Helen.Odell-Miller@anglia.ac.uk

Telephone: 0845 196 2045
International: +44 1223 363271 ext 2045



Helen Odell-Miller is a co-founder of the MA Music Therapy course at Anglia Ruskin University, and Director of the Music for Health Research Centre. Before joining Anglia Ruskin in 1994 she worked as a music therapist for over 15 years in the field of mental health, latterly as manager of the Arts Therapies services in mental health NHS and Foundation Trusts in Cambridge, where she still holds an honorary contract. She gained degrees at Nottingham University, City University, and Aalborg University, Denmark where she is now on the Advisory Board on the International PhD programme. She is a co-instigator of the NHS career structure in the UK for music therapists and a member of the Allied Health Professions Advisory Board.

She combines her academic role at Anglia Ruskin with teaching on the MA Music Therapy, active involvement in the departmental management including the development of The Music Therapy Clinic, new courses in the department, and music therapy clinical work.

Helen has published and lectured widely, and has been a keynote speaker at several national and international conferences in Europe, Australia and the USA. She has recently published the book Supervision of Music Therapy as a co-editor. She is an Advisor to the Association of Professional Music Therapists, and a founder of the European Music Therapy Council. She is currently actively involved in music performance as a singer in Cambridge Voices.

Her research areas include Music Therapy and Dementia, Music Therapy and Links with Diagnosis in Adult Mental Health, Music Therapy and Personality Disorders, Psychoanalytically Informed Music Therapy, Arts Therapies and Mental Health.


Selected Publications

Odell-Miller, H and Richards, E (2008) Supervision of music therapy: a theoretical and practical handbook. London: Routledge (In press)

Odell-Miller, H (2007) 'The practice of music therapy for adults with mental health problems: the relationship between diagnosis and clinical method' PhD thesis Aalborg University, Denmark.

Odell-Miller, H., Hughes, P. and Westacott, M., (2006) 'An investigation into the effectiveness of the arts therapies for adults with continuing mental health problems' in Pscyhotherapy Research 16 (1), 122-139.

Schaverien, J. and Odell-Miller, H. (2005) 'The arts therapies' in G.Gabbard, J.Beck and J.Holmes, eds. Oxford Textbook of Psychotherapy (pp. 87-95). Oxford: Oxford University Press

Odell-Miller, H. (2005) Book Review of 'Between couch and piano: psychoanalysis, music, art and neuroscience: G. Rose' in Psychodynamic Practice, Volume 11;part 4, pp. 459-463.

Odell-Miller, H. (2003) 'Are words enough?' in L. King and R. Randall, (eds). The Future of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, London: Whurr .

Odell-Miller, H. (2002) 'Musical narratives in music therapy treatment for dementia' in L. Bunt and S. Hoskyns, (eds). The Handbook of Music Therapy London: Routledge

Odell-Miller, H. (2002) 'One man's journey and the importance of time: music therapy in an NHS day centre' in A. Davies and E. Richards (eds). Music Therapy and Group Work, London: Jessica Kingsley

Odell-Miller, H. (2001) 'Music therapy and its relationship to psychoanalysis' in Y. Searle, and I. Streng (eds). Where Analysis Meets the Arts . London: Karnac

Odell-Miller, H., Westacott, M., Hughes, P., Mortlock, D., and Binks, C., (2001) An Investigation into the Effectiveness of the Arts Therapies (Art Therapy, Dramatherapy, Music Therapy, Dance Movement Therapy) by measuring symptomatic and significant life change for people between the ages of 16-65 with continuing mental health problems, Cambridge: Anglia Polytechnic University and Addenbrooke?s NHS Trust joint publication

Odell-Miller, H. (1999) 'Investigating the value of music therapy in psychiatry: outcome related to reasons for referral' in A. Wigram and J. de Backer, (eds). Clinical Applications of Music Therapy in Psychiatry. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Odell-Miller, H. (1995) Why provide music therapy in the community for adults with mental health problems? British Journal of Music Therapy, 9, (1), 4-10.

Odell-Miller, H. (1991) 'The experience of one man with schizophrenia' in K. Bruscia, (ed), Case Studies in Music Therapy, Pennsylvania: Barcelona Publishers.

Odell-Miller, H. (1988) 'A music therapy approach in mental health' in Psychology of Music and Music Education, 16:62-70.

Conference Presentations, Keynote Addresses and Consultancy

Odell-Miller, H (2007) Consultant to Guildhall School of Music and Drama for development of MA Programme in Music Therapy

Odell-Miller, H (2007) Invited to write CPD Modules for Royal College of Psychiatrists

Odell-Miller (2007) Consultant to East Sussex Health Authority of developing Music Therapy Research posts.

Odell-Miller, H (2006) Invited to give a paper at an International Research Debate Congress at Aalborg University. Is Music Therapy Research. 'Ivory Tower' Research Dementia outcome research and its clinical relevance.

Odell-Miller, H (2006) Invited Keynote speaker to Royal College of Psychiatrists CPD Training on working with Dementia.

Odell-Miller, H (2005) External Consultant to UWE MA Music Therapy Course

Odell-Miller, H (2004) Invited to Spain to School of Music Therapy in Vittoria to teach research students 'Methodology, Design and Research in Music Therapy'

Odell-Miller, H (2004) Invited speaker to School of Music, Kranj Slovenia 'The Role and Function of Music Therapy - developing in a culturally specific environment'.

Odell-Miller, H (2003) Invited speaker to Ionion University Corfu 'Music Therapy Research in Adult Psychiatry' Public Lecture.

Odell-Miller, H (2003) Invited speaker to The Society for Psychotherapy Research Annual Congress in Weimar, Germany 'Arts Therapies outcome research'

Odell-Miller, H (2002) Paper at World Congress of Music Therapy Oxford University, 'Research into the Selection of Music Therapy Students for Training'

Odell-Miller, H (2001) Invited speaker 'A narrative perspective on music therapy and dementia' at The Royal College of Psychiatrist's Annual Conference. London QE Centre.



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