creative arts therapy

Jasmine Edwards (she/her) is a doctoral fellow within the Steinhardt Music Education program with a focus in music therapy at New York University. Jasmine holds a BM and MA in music therapy from Florida State University and NYU, respectively. Her clinical experiences include private practice, outpatient, school-based, and medical pediatric settings, and she is trained in NICU-MT, First Sounds: RBL, and Austin Vocal Psychotherapy. Jasmine has a vested interest in elevating dialogues about cultural humility within music therapy education and clinical practice. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the music therapy departments at Howard University, New York University, Montclair State University, Nazareth College, and Duquesne University. Jasmine identifies as a Black woman.

Hannah Foxman is a Board-Certified Music Therapist with 6 years of experience working in pediatric music therapy at Boston Children’s Hospital. Hannah has worked with a variety of diverse patient populations in the medical setting such as; oncology hematology, bone marrow transplant, neurology, general medicine, surgical, and psychiatric care. Most recently, Hannah has primarily provided music therapy services in the medical/surgical intensive care unit focusing on regulatory care, pain reduction, family bonding, coping support, quality of life, and bereavement care.

Adenike Webb, PhD, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist with 21 years of experience. Her clinical work has been primarily in behavioral/ mental health settings. She received her undergraduate training in music therapy at Radford University and completed her Masters and PhD in music therapy at Temple University. Her personal and clinical experiences as an Afro-Caribbean woman and immigrant in the United States sparked her research interests in developing cultural awareness and sensitivity in music therapy practice and education.  

Dr. Webb is a member of the music therapy faculty and the clinical education coordinator for the Creative Arts Therapies department of Drexel University. She is a founding member of the Black Music Therapy Network, Inc., and has served on their steering committee. She is a co-host of the podcast Black Creative Healing, which focuses on radical conversations, mindful collaborations, and wholistic visioning centering Black communities. She recently served as guest co-editor of a special issue focused on social justice in the journal Music Therapy Perspectives.

Gabriela S. Asch-Ortiz, MS, LCAT, MT-BC (she, her, ella), is a Latina Board-Certified Music Therapist and New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in New York City. Gabriela is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Music Therapy at Temple University. Her clinical background and personal journey have influenced her cultural-relational perspective on music therapy practice and pedagogy. Rooted in her lived experiences, Gabriela is firmly committed to promoting advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within music therapy and healthcare. Her advocacy involves dismantling oppressive structures to foster a more inclusive healthcare environment for stakeholders. 

Beyond her clinical contributions, Gabriela has co-authored peer-reviewed articles on music therapy in healthcare settings, including a chapter in Portraits of Everyday Practice. She also serves on the editorial board for Music Therapy Perspectives. Gabriela's doctoral research focuses on broadening understandings of therapeutic relationships experienced by Latine individuals and their music therapists in healthcare contexts. She employs autoethnography, weaving her personal experience with the study's cultural, social, and political dimensions to provide a comprehensive understanding of these dynamics. Gabriela also presents widely on topics encompassing relational music therapy, ecological perspectives, cultural reflexivity, and anti-oppressive practices. 

Tariro is a writer, performer, actress and spoken word artist. She is also a trained facilitator and runs programs to support performers and people wanting to dive deeper into the creative process. She currently resides in Barbados, from which she delivers international programs. 

Tariro speaks so beautifully in this podcast episode about writing, about courage, about how the body holds stories, and about how we can rewrite these stories so that we may heal and grow.

For workshops and other offerings visit Tariro’s website

To connect on Instagram visit Tariro here

To connect on Facebook visit Tariro here

To listen and purchase Tariro’s collaboration with the Australian Art Orchestra, Closed Beginnings, click here.

This week on, “Inside the Skev,” we sit down with Jenni Rook from the Institute for Therapy Through the Arts (ITA). ITA provides creative arts therapy for people of all ages and needs, which is an alternative to traditional therapy methods. They are based in Evanston and were established in 1975. Jenni is the executive director.

More information about ITA can be found https://itachicago.org/. Their Evanston location is at 2130 Green Bay Road, Evanston, IL 60201.

Inside the Skev is a one stop shop for all things Skokie and Evanston. Be the first to know about local events, new podcast episodes, real estate and the latest stories about the great people in these towns by going to http://www.skevanston.com. Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and reach out to Aaron at aaron@skevanston.com with any questions or suggestions.