CMT
LCAT
FAMI Program Director
Barbara Hesser is Director of the Music Therapy program at New York University. In this capacity she coordinates the Master's and Doctorate of the Arts Degree programs, is the Program Director of the Nordoff‑Robbins Music Therapy Center, and is the program liaison for Guided Imagery and Music (GIM)Training. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at NYU, 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 has served as a founding member and Publicity Chairman of the World Federation of Music Therapy. Among her publications, she has co‑authored the “Essential Competencies for the Practice of Music Therapy” which has been used by AAMT, CAMT and now the AMTA as a document for standards of education and training in the profession.
Professor Hesser maintains a music therapy private practice, and is a Fellow in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM).