Melissa Tan, PhD, RP, MTA, NMT-F
As humans we have a multitude of ways we can express ourselves, and even with all our resources we may find it difficult to communicate. I thrive on connecting with others through music as music contains similar properties to the way we operate as people including, form, rhythm, and pitch.
As a registered psychotherapist & neurologic music therapist I use music to connect and engage clients to support them in areas of need. Music is used as the medium to support growth and development, encourage creativity and expression, and a means of communicating.
I aim to support clients of all ages and abilities. My clinical experience is with clients with autism, neuro-disability & neuro-rehab, learning disabilities, early development, dementia, and. mental health challenges. Previously, I have worked in a school for speech & language and communication difficulties, in the public health sector (NHS, UK) with adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties, and supported adults with mental health issues in a community music education setting.
I completed a PhD in Music and Health Sciences with a collaborative specialisation in neuroscience at the Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory (MaHRC) at the University of Toronto. My research focused on investigating the use of music-based cognitive interventions with adults with major depressive disorder and suicidal ideations.
Since 2019, I have been a part-time lecturer with the Creative Arts Therapies Department at Concordia University where I have supervised and taught music, art, and drama therapy students.
My educational background includes a MA in Music Therapy from the University of Roehampton in London, UK and a BMus in Classical Piano from McGill University in Montreal. I am also an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
I am a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Music Therapist Accredited (MTA), and adheres to the Code of Conduct of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and ethical codes of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists (CAMT). I am a recognised Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT-F™) and a member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, UK).
Publications
Loria T, Tan M, de Grosbois J, Huang A, Thaut MH. Temporospatial Alterations in Upper-Limb and Mallet Control Underlie Motor Learning in Marimba Performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 188 (2022). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834869.
Loria T, Teich JE, Pranjić M, Tan M, Huang A, Thaut MH. The Impact of Limb Velocity Variability on Mallet Accuracy in Marimba Performance. Journal of Motor Behavior (2022). doi:10.1080/00222895.2022.2069080.
Richard Williams, N., Hurt-Thaut, C., Brian, J., Tremblay, L., Pranjić, M., Teich, J., Tan, M., Kowaleski, J., Thaut, M. H. Improved motor skills in autistic children after three weeks of neurologic music therapy via telehealth: a pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15 (2024). doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1355942.
Sharda M, Tuerk C, Chowdhury R, Jamey K, Foster N, Custo-Blanch M, Tan M, Nadig A, Hyde K. Music improves social communication and auditory-motor connectivity in children with autism. Translational Psychiatry 8, 231 (2018). doi.org/10.1038/s41398-018-0287-3.
Tan, M., Friyia, S., Rizvi, S. J., Hurt-Thaut, C., Thaut, M.H. Music-Based Cognitive Training for Adults with Major Depressive Disorder and Suicide Risk: A Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, 757 (2025). doi.org/10.3390/jcm14030757.