Sound Personalisation in Counselling: Bridging Creative Sound Design and Mental Health Support

Sound personalisation represents a promising approach in the design of therapeutic environments, particularly in mental health and counselling contexts. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for integrating creative sound design with personalised ambient soundscapes to support emotional regulation, relaxation, and client engagement. Drawing on theories from soundscape ecology, user-centred design, and sound therapy, the paper outlines how personalised sound environments can enhance the counselling experience. Although the deliberate use of sound in therapy is gaining attention, it remains underexplored, particularly in Southeast Asian contexts. Personalised sound interventions offer a non-pharmacological and culturally adaptable means of enriching therapeutic settings, yet they also present challenges in terms of implementation and interdisciplinary collaboration. This paper aims to establish a conceptual foundation for future research and practice in this area. By reviewing key literature and proposing a framework, it seeks to guide the development of tools, environments, and sound-based interventions that support mental well-being through user-responsive audio experiences.