Dr. Elaine Abbott, Ph.D., MT-BC, FAMI

Elaine Abbott has over 20 years of clinical music therapy experience in skilled nursing facilities, inpatient behavioral health facilities, and private music psychotherapy practice. She maintains a small clinical music psychotherapy practice. Dr. Abbott's research interests include client, therapist, and paraprofessional experiences in music therapy processes. Additionally, she is engaged in the development of clinical music and imagery methods as well as a post-graduate music and imagery training program. She chairs the American Music Therapy Association Scholarship Committee and sits on editorial boards for the Journal of the Association of Music and Imagery and Music Therapy Perspectives.

Journal Articles

Abbott, E. A. & Sanders, L. (accepted for publication, 2013). Paraeducators' perspectives on collaboration. The Canadian Journal of Music Therapy.

Abbott, E. A. & Sanders, L. (2013). Paraeducators' perceptions of music therapy sessions. Music Therapy Perspectives, 30(2), 145-150.

Abbott, E. (2010). The Bonny Method: Training Innovations at Anna Maria College. Voices: A World Forum For Music Therapy, 10(3). Retrieved November 15, 2010, from https://normt.uib.no/index.php/voices/article/view/501/424

Abbott, E. A. (2007-08). Facilitating guided imagery and music: What therapists intend, experience, do. Journal of the Association for Music and Imagery, 11, 1-20.

Abbott, E. A. (2006). The Administration of Music Therapy Training Clinics: A Descriptive Study. Journal of Music Therapy, 43(1), 63-81.

Abbott, E. A. (2005). Client Experiences with the Music in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. In A. Meadows (Ed.), Qualitative Inquires in Music Therapy, Volume 2 (pp. 36-61). Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.

Abbott, E. A., Bruscia, K. E., Cadesky, N., Condron, D., Hunt, A., Miller, D. M., & Thomae, L. (2005). A collaborative heuristic analysis of Imagery-M: A classical music program used in guided imagery and music. In A. Meadows (Ed.), Qualitative Inquires in Music Therapy, Volume 2 (pp. 1-35). Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.

Book Chapters

Abbott, E. A. (2013). Elderly residents in nursing facilities. In L. Eyre (Ed.), Guidelines for Music Therapy Practice: Mental Health of Adolescents and Adults. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.

Abbott, E. A. (2013). Personal therapy requirements for training in Bonny method of guided imagery and music: Traditional and modified sessions. In K. Bruscia (Ed.), Self-Experiences in Music Therapy Education (pp. 373-386). Gilsum, NH: Barcelona.

Abbott, E. A. & Avins, K. (2006). Music, health and well-being. In E. R. Mackenzie & B. Rakel (Ed.s), Holistic Approaches to Healthy Aging: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults (pp. 97-110). New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Paraeducators' Perceptions of Music Therapy Sessions. Poster presentation. National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association, St. Charles, Illinois, October 12, 2012. 

What Paraprofessionals Want Music Therapists To Know. Refereed 50-minute didactic session. Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, March 22, 2012. Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, April 13, 2012.

Learn More to Be More: A Panel Presentation on Supervision.      Refereed 50-minute panel discussion with Deborah Benkovitz, LSW, MSW, MT-BC; Gretchen Chardos Benner, MT-BC, LSW; Brigette K. Sutton, MA, MT-BC; Aaron K. Teague, MA, MT-BC, Carol L. Shultis, M.Ed, MT-BC, LPC, Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, March 24, 2012.

A Music Therapy Research Process: The Collaboration of a Clinician and Academician. Refereed 50-minute didactic and experiential session with Linda Sanders, MRE, MT-BC. National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association, Atlanta, GA, November 20, 2011.

Exploring the Possibilities: Professional Collaboration in the Arts Therapies. Refereed 90-minute didactic and experiential session with Nancy Jackson, PhD, MT-BC and Annie Heiderscheit, PhD, MT-BC. Expressive Arts Therapies Summit, New York City, New York, November 12, 2011.

Living as a Music Therapist: What's Up With That? Refereed 90-minute didactic and experiential session. Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY, March 2011. Refereed 50-minute didactic and experiential session. National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association, Cleveland OH, November 19, 2010

Focusing and Containing Therapeutic Work in Guided Imagery and Music. Refereed 90-minute didactic and interactive lecture. New England Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Westbrook, CT, March 19, 2010. Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, March 16, 2010. 

Music & Imagery Part I: Supportive and Re-educative Music & Imagery. Refereed 90-minute panel presentation of case studies with Francis Goldberg, Suzannah Scott-Moncrieff, Jody Conradi Stark, Laura Pawuk, and Deborah Phelps. The Twentieth International Conference of the Association for Music and Imagery, Chicago, IL, June 25, 2009.

Using Intention to Help Guide Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music Sessions. Refereed 90-minute didactic lecture. Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN, March 7, 2009.

Client Reactions to Music in Imagery-Based Psychotherapy. Refereed poster presentation. Temple University Qualitative Research Symposium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March, 2003.

MUTH 090    Music Therapy Seminar

MUTH 107W Music Therapy Orientation

MUTH 109W Music Therapy in Context

MUTH 123W Conscious Drumming Practicum

MUTH 223W Sophomore Music Therapy Practicum

MUTH 306W The Influence of Music on Health and Wellness

MUTH 309W Directed Study in Music Therapy

MUTH 323W Junior Music Therapy Practicum

MUTH 374W Music and Movement for the Exceptional Person

MUTH 400    Music Therapy Internship

Board Certified Music Therapist, Certification Board for Music Therapists, Certification Number: 04213

Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, The University of the State of New York Education Department, Office of the Professions, License Number: 000706-1

Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery, The Association for Music and Imagery