Clarissa Lacson, PhD, MA, MT-BC, earned her master’s degree in music therapy and counseling and her PhD in creative arts therapies from Drexel University. She built the music therapy program at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Harrisburg (2009 – 2011) and the music therapy program at Children’s National Health Systems in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (2011 – 2017). She initiated an internship program at Children’s National Health Systems and has had experience in supervising interns and practicum students. Clarissa has served as a study coordinator for both Dr. Bradt’s Music, Creativity and Wellness lab and Dr. Shim’s Mind-Body Movement Research for Whole Person Health lab. Her dissertation work focused on interprofessional collaboration between pediatric music therapists and their multidisciplinary co-workers. Clarissa has presented her scholarship on regional, national, and international platforms. Clarissa also serves as Vice President for Membership for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association, and as a Mid-Atlantic Region Assembly Delegate to the American Music Therapy Association.
Academic Distinctions
2021 Dean’s PhD Student Research Award
Professional Society
American Music Therapy Association
International Association of Music and Medicine
Mixed Methods International Research Association
American Counseling Association
Selected Publications
Puhy, C., Prakash, N., Lacson, C., & Bradt, J. (2021). Multicultural teaching competence in undergraduate faculty: A convergent mixed methods study. Journal for Multicultural Education.
Lacson, C., Myers-Coffman, K., Kesslick, A., Krater, C., & Bradt, J. (2020). Conducting clinical studies in community health Settings: Challenges and opportunities for music therapists. Music Therapy Perspectives, 39(1), 105-112. doi:10.1093/mtp/miaa008
Low, M. Y., Lacson, C., Zhang, F., Kesslick, A., & Bradt, J. (2020). Vocal music therapy for chronic pain: A mixed methods feasibility study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(2), 113.
Research Interests
Interprofessional collaboration
PhD, Creative Arts Therapies
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
MA, Music Therapy and Counseling
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
BM, Music Performance – Cello
Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD