With experience as a registered music therapist since the NDIS trial phase in South Australia, Natalie Oliveri founded Creative Therapy Adelaide (CTA) in 2021 and now leads the largest dual music therapy and speech therapy team in the state. She will deliver an interactive 90-minute PDS workshop offering a straight-talking look at business realities for music therapists. Drawing from her time in private practice and subsequent business growth, Natalie will share strategies adopted in response to NDIS reforms and in building a multidisciplinary team. The session will focus on practical methods that have contributed to maintaining stability and flexibility in today’s fast-changing health and disability sectors. 

 

Natalie will discuss the balance between risk and reward in business ownership, the importance of calculated decisions, being comfortable with uncertainty and commitment to ethical practice. She will share practical examples showing how business mentoring, brand building and an intentional workplace culture at CTA have been key to its stability in the face of uncertainty. The workshop will address the challenge of finding new funding streams and the tactics CTA has used to mitigate external change while continuing to advocate for music therapy recognition and access. 


Attendees will participate in interactive elements, including group discussions and structured exercises, designed to identify obstacles, risks, and opportunities for music therapy as a service and for the businesses that provide it. By the end of the session, music therapy professionals will leave with renewed clarity to make strategic business decisions and to represent their field and clients with resourcefulness and purpose