Barbara Hesser

Barbara Hesser

New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

Associate Professor of Music Therapy with a joint appointment in Applied Psychology: Director of Music Therapy and the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU

Phone: (212) 998-5452
Email: barbara.hesser@nyu.edu

• Music and Performing Arts Professions
• Music Therapy

Professor Barbara Hesser is Director of the Music Therapy program at New York University. In this capacity, she coordinates the Masters of Arts Program, is the Director of the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Center, and is the program liaison for the Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) Training. She has given courses, workshops and lectures in many countries throughout the world.

Professionally, Professor Hesser served the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT) as President, Vice President, Co Chairman of the Education and Training Committee, Editor of the first AAMT Journal Music Therapy and as a member of the Editorial Board of that journal for 15 years. She was also a member of the Commission on Education and Training for the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). She is one of nine international founders of the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) and has served as its Publicity Chairman. Among her publications, she has co authored the “Essential Competencies for the Practice of Music Therapy”, which have been used by the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT), the Canadian Association of Music Therapy (CAMT) and now the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) as a document for standards of certification, education and training in the profession.

Professor Hesser maintains a music therapy private practice, and is a Fellow and Trainer in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM).