Enrichment Programs | Music Therapy Services

Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music-based interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional. Music therapy at Boston Children's Hospital provides direct inpatient care to patients and their families through a family-centered model. Our music therapists are members of the treatment team on inpatient units, providing treatment and education through music-based interventions to support a patient during their hospital admission. Our music therapists work to improve each patient’s hospital stay and achieve optimal recovery while supporting the patient's psychosocial needs.

Our board-certified music therapists are trained to assess patients with a variety of medical conditions to support:

  • developmental outcomes related to complex medical diagnosis or prolonged hospitalization
  • rehabilitation and recovery of cognitive, sensorimotor, and communication deficits due to neurologic injury or disease
  • psychological wellbeing related to short- and long-term effects of a medical diagnosis
  • pain management
  • emotional expression
  • coping with the stress and anxiety of diagnosis and treatment
  • family bonding

For more information, please contact the program manager at arts@childrens.harvard.edu.

 

The goal of music therapy

The goal of music therapy is to help patients maximize their physical, psychological, cognitive, and social functioning. Music therapists work with patients and their caregivers to improve the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes that are at risk due to medical diagnosis and prolonged hospitalization.

Receiving music therapy

To access music therapy while your child is admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital, contact your nurse, child life specialist, and/or care team to have a referral placed.

我们的团队

Brian Jantz
Brian Jantz, MA, MT-BC, has been part of the Music Therapy Program at Boston Children’s since 2001. As a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Brian has supervised Berklee students during internship and practicum experiences at the hospital and is currently on faculty as assistant professor in the Music Therapy Department at the college. Brian’s specializations include adult and pediatric psychiatric settings, neurology, oncology, and conducting music therapy research.
Joanna Bereaud
Joanna Bereaud has been a music therapist at Boston Children’s since 2002. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy. She had her internship at the Kennedy Day School of the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Brighton. Joanna is a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)-trained music therapist. Her specializations include the NICU, cardiology, and neurology, and children with special needs. Joanna grew up in Poland, where she studied classical voice and music education.
Mark Fuller
Mark Fuller, MT-BC, NMT, has been a part of the Music Therapy Program since 2018. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and completed his internship at Boston Children’s. Mark primarily provides music therapy within cardiology, oncology, and intensive care units. Mark’s specializations include working with children with neurologic disorders and diseases, premature infants, and neurodevelopmental care.
Hannah Foxman
Hannah Foxman has been a music therapist at Boston Children’s Hospital since 2017. As a graduate of Berklee College of Music, she gained experience as a student working with diverse communities in the Boston area, and completed her internship at Boston Children’s. Hannah primarily supports patients on the oncology/hematology and neurology units, but dedicates time to various inpatient floors and outpatient clinics of the hospital.
Eva Marija Vukich
Eva Marija Vukich, MA, MT-BC, joined the Music Therapy Program at Boston Children’s in 2019. Following her internship at Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, Eva received her bachelor’s degree and credential in Music Therapy at Temple University of Philadelphia in 2013. Eva’s personal and professional experience of resilience among migrant communities led her to pursue a master’s degree in 2016 at the University of East London, focusing on refugee and migrant health. After graduation, Eva worked alongside transborder humanitarian initiatives in the Balkan region and Southwest United States. At Boston Children’s, she is passionate about creating inclusive therapeutic spaces that honor the patient’s musical culture, language, and intersecting identities.
Tatiana Penagos
Tatiana Penagos, MA, MT-BC, joined the Music Therapy Program at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2019. She has been a board-certified music therapist since 2017. She received a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from Florida State University, where she completed her required clinical internship with pediatric and psychiatric populations. Tatiana went on to receive her Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University, where she specialized in working with both pediatric and adult populations in the metropolitan medical setting in New York City.

Education

The music therapy department strives to provide educational in-services, lectures, and advocacy within the field of music therapy including internship supervisor trainings, self-care workshops, study groups for the CBMT exam, music therapy for pain and palliative care, and use of specific genres as clinical music therapy tools.

Clinical education opportunities

The Music Therapy Program at Boston Children’s provides clinical education for practicum students and interns who are completing their music therapy degree from an accredited music therapy program. Our team provides clinical supervision for trainees seeking clinical experience in the implications and treatment of music therapy in a pediatric setting.

The ideal candidate for an internship at Boston Children’s will be interested in pediatric care and able to relocate to the Boston area for the duration of their internship.

Internship inquiry should be directed to:

Mark Fuller Jr., MT-BC, NMT
Music Therapy Department
Boston Children's Hospital
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
电话：617-355-7509
电子邮件：mark.fullerjr@childrens.harvard.edu

Resources

研究和创新

The Department of Music Therapy focuses on providing innovative, cutting-edge research to understand how music therapy can improve the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes of children during hospitalization. Our music therapists are collaborating and pioneering pediatric music therapy research to expand the understanding of music therapy in the pediatric population.

There is a growing interest in discovering how music can play a role in the treatment of children with a complex medical diagnosis. It is our goal to contribute to scientific research to optimize the future of music therapy and pediatric medicine.

For more information on the role of research in pediatric music therapy, or if you are a clinician/researcher interested in collaborating on research, please contact our program manager at arts@childrens.harvard.edu.

联系我们

Boston Children's Hospital – Main Campus
300 Longwood Avenue, Child Life Services
Boston, MA 02115
617-355-7509