🎵 The Science and Soul of Sound Healing
- leigh milne
- Nov 12
- 6 min read
An In-Depth Conversation with Leith James, Founder of the Australian Sound Healers Association (ASHA)
By Leigh Milne – Holistic Psychologist, Couples Therapist, Psychosomatic therapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist & Host of the Transcending Trauma Podcast
🕊️ Integrating Science, Sound, and Soul
In this special episode of Transcending Trauma, I had the privilege of speaking with Leith James, a professional sound therapist, musician, and the founder of the Australian Sound Healers Association (ASHA).
Leith has dedicated his career to bridging ancient sound healing traditions with modern neuroscience and psychology — exploring how vibration, frequency, and consciousness work together to restore balance, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect us with our deeper humanity.
As he said beautifully during our conversation:
“There is a scientific approach to it and [a] psychological approach to it.”
🎶 What Exactly Is Sound Healing?
At its foundation, sound healing is, as Leith describes, “the use of vibration and frequency to restore harmony to the body and mind.”
He references the late Jonathan Goldman, who coined the formula:
“Intention plus sound equals healing.”
Leith explains that every cell and organ in our body has its own resonant frequency. When stress, trauma, or illness disrupts that natural vibration, the body falls into dissonance. Through sound therapy — whether with gongs, bowls, tuning forks, or the human voice — we can send coherent frequencies through the nervous system, guiding the body back into balance.
“We can shift the brainwave state from beta alerts into alpha, theta or even delta — states associated with calm, creativity and deep restoration… activating the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and supporting the immune system and emotional balance.”
Sound, in essence, becomes a tuning fork for the human system — bringing us back into harmony.
🧠 Sound, the Brain, and the Nervous System
Leith reminds us that everything vibrates, even the brain.
“When we hear a sound, the brain naturally tries to synchronise with it — a process known as entrainment. A slow drum beat or low-frequency gong can encourage the brain to enter a theta state, which is similar to deep meditation or the edge of sleep.”
This entrainment effect has powerful implications for trauma recovery because it helps regulate the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system, restoring rhythm to systems that have become dysregulated through stress or shock.
This is why, in my own therapy sessions, I often use harmonic sound in the background — it creates a gentle safety signal, allowing the body to relax and process with greater ease.
🌿 Sound as a Bridge Between Modalities
Leith describes sound as a deeply complementary therapy:
“Sound therapy is highly complementary to mindfulness and somatic experiencing. It helps the body to process and release stored energy, but it does so non-verbally through vibration rather than words.”
In this way, sound offers a non-invasive alternative for clients who may find traditional talk therapy overwhelming.
“The sound has a sort of intelligence of its own that the body seems to recognise.”
⚖️ Resonance, Coherence, and the Body’s Self-Healing System
According to Leith, resonance and entrainment help the body find coherence:
“Resonance and entrainment bring coherence to the body’s natural oscillations. The heartbeat, the breath, the brainwaves — when exposed to harmonic frequencies, chaotic rhythms begin to stabilise. The sound acts like a tuning fork reminding the body of its own healthy frequency.”
This is not just poetic — it’s physiological. Sound healing literally restores the body’s rhythm and helps return it to its innate state of balance, what we call homeostasis.
🔬 Research, Real-Life Results, and Remarkable Stories
Leith shared fascinating examples from his practice and informal research:
“I did a live blood analysis with six people — we looked at the blood before and after a gong session. Beforehand, the cells were clumped and dehydrated. After 20 minutes of gongs, the cells were flowing freely with less inflammation and more hydration. The results were remarkable.”
He also recalled an emotional story of transformation:
“I played for only five minutes at a seminar. A man rang me a few weeks later and said, ‘I don’t know what you did, but I’d been suffering from nightmares for years… and the nightmares are gone.’”
Stories like these remind us that while not everything in healing can be quantified, the human body responds deeply to sound.
✨ Sound as a Bridge Between Science and Spirit
Leith describes sound as a universal language of creation — one that moves between the physical and the spiritual.
“If you go back to the beginning, there was the Word. Sound is energy that moves between worlds. I often see people move from tension into deep stillness, sometimes with emotional release or insight. Sound allows the nervous system to relax enough for the soul to speak.”
He shared a story of a woman who experienced profound emotional release after the loss of her partner:
“She said she was finally able to let him go during the session — she felt him drift away.”
Sound allows these deeply held energies to move, often wordlessly.
🌍 Humanity’s Ancient Relationship with Sound
For Leith, our connection with sound is as old as humanity itself.
“Cultures have used sound for centuries because it’s universal. It’s before language. Aboriginal songlines, Tibetan bowls — sound has always been how we connect to something greater than ourselves.”
He adds:
“The gong represents God — generating, organising, and destroying — recreating life itself through sound. Our bodies know this. We’re made up of vibrating cells. Even the walls are vibrating — nothing is standing still.”
Sound, then, becomes both a metaphor and a mirror for life itself.
💜 Sound, Safety, and Belonging
In a world that often leaves people disconnected, sound offers belonging.
“Group sessions create a shared resonance field — everyone’s energy contributes to the collective frequency. When I first struck the gong, I felt like I was home. That collective experience during sound can really connect you to everyone and everything.”
For trauma survivors in particular, this sense of safe connection can be deeply reparative.
🎧 Sound Healing at Home — Where to Begin
Leith’s advice for those starting out:
“Start small. Humming is really great… the voice is the most powerful healing tool. You don’t need to spend any money. Just start singing to yourself.”
Other simple suggestions include:
Gentle background sound (singing bowls, soft gongs, or tuning forks before sleep).
Mindful nature listening: “Even five minutes listening to birds, wind, or the ocean can reset the nervous system.”
Recommended book: The Humming Effect by Jonathan Goldman.
He adds that sound can help people who “can’t switch off the mind” find a physical anchor into meditation.
🥁 Instruments for Healing and Regulation
Different instruments offer different effects:
“Low grounding instruments like gongs and drums support safety and regulation. Tuning forks can realign the subtle energy fields. Crystal bowls help with emotional release, and the voice restores personal power and self-expression.”
He recommends Tuning the Human Biofield by Eileen Day McKusick for those interested in the science of sound and energy fields.
“The gongs… are the most powerful machines on the planet. They can shift the platform of your existence.”
🧘♀️ ASHA: Safety, Standards, and Education
Leith founded the Australian Sound Healers Association (ASHA) to provide professional training and maintain ethical, trauma-informed practice.
“Safety is the key. We offer training sessions and ongoing education, a national directory of qualified practitioners, and we teach trauma-informed, science-based sound therapy.”
ASHA also provides mentoring, insurance access, and community — ensuring sound therapy grows with professionalism and integrity.
Learn more at:🌐 www.australiansoundhealersassociation.com.au
🌅 The Future of Sound Healing in Mental Health
Leith sees sound as a cornerstone of integrative care:
“We’re seeing hospitals and psychologists integrating sound into trauma and stress programs. It’s a cost-effective, accessible bridge between science, spirituality, and community care — exactly what our mental health system needs right now.”
He believes sound will become as common as mindfulness or yoga in the coming decade.
“Sound makes you feel safe. And that’s the key — creating safe, caring spaces where people can let go.”
💫 Leith’s Final Message
“Your body is an instrument. It gets out of tune. This is a great way to tune your body. When you tune yourself to harmony, you become both the healer and the healed. Sound reminds us that we’re not separate — we’re all part of the same universal frequency of love and consciousness.”
🔗 Connect with Leith James & ASHA
🌐 Website: www.australiansoundhealersassociation.com.au💬 Facebook Page: @AustralianSoundHealersAssociation👥 Facebook Group: Australian Sound Healers Association Group📸 Instagram: @soundhealersassociation✨ ASHA on SoulAdvisor: View profile
🎧 Listen to the Full Interview
🎙️ Transcending Trauma — “The Science and Soul of Sound Healing with Leith James”👉 Listen on Podbean (best for sharing & SEO)
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🌿 About the Author
Leigh Milne is a holistic-focused psychologist, couples therapist, clinical hypnotherapist, and psychosomatic bodywork therapist based in Western Australia. Through her Transcending Trauma podcast and private practice, Leigh integrates evidence-based psychology with holistic modalities to support transformation, trauma recovery, and mind–body–spirit wellness.
🌐 Learn more: www.transcendingtrauma.com.au
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