Profile

 

Dr. Petra Kern


MT-BC, MTA, DMtG

 

Dr. Petra Kern is a clinician, researcher, and educator in music therapy. She is board certified in the U.S., Canada, and Germany and earned her doctorate in music therapy from the School of Medicine at the University of Witten-Herdecke. Dr. Kern is a former  President of the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), editor-in-chief of imagine, and owner of the California-based company Music Therapy Consulting.


Clinical Skills

Petra has worked in a variety of clinical settings serving the youngest to the oldest. Her clinical experience includes serving individuals with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, visual impairments, Down Syndrome, severe multiple disabilities, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, various mental health issue, and other impairments. More than eleven years, Dr. Kern worked in different roles at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. Within this setting, she conducted her research and worked as part of the interdisciplinary intervention team. Her special interest is inclusion of young children with disabilities and their families through music.


Research Expertise

As a researcher, Dr. Kern evaluated the effects of embedded music therapy interventions for young children with disabilities, specifically children with autism spectrum disorders in natural environments. Part of her research focused on the development of a musical playground and use of music therapy interventions in the outdoor environment to facilitate social interaction in young children with autism and a child with visual impairments. She continues to have a significant interest in developing creative outdoor play strategies to support children with and without disabilities. In 2008, Dr. Kern received the national research/publications award of the American Music Therapy Association.  


Teaching Experience

Dr. Kern also is known as an educator. She currently is Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Louisville and teaches at Augsburg College. Previously she was on faculty at the State University of New York at New Paltz, the University of Windsor in Canada, and Marylhurst University in Portland, Oregon. She continues to guest lecturer at Universities worldwide. Dr. Kern also taught many courses and workshops for early childhood educators, therapists, and children with their caregivers in different educational institutes in Germany and the U.S. Her teaching style is interactive, includes latest technology, and brings out the best of everyone. She likes to see people grow and discover their potential. Dr. Kern served several years as the Chairperson of the Student Affairs Advisory Board (SAAB) of American Music Therapy Association. In 2013, she received the Faculty Innovation and Excellence Grant of the Marylhurst University.


Speaking & Publications

Dr. Kern is a dynamic speaker and has presented her work in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Her work has been published in Young Exceptional Children, Young Children, Children & Families, the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, the Journal of Music Therapy, Music Therapy Perspectives, Music Therapy Today, and imagine. Dr. Kern served on several national and international music therapy committees and boards, including the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), Editorial Board of Music Therapy Perspectives, the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, and Music and Medicine. She is the editor-in-chief of imagine, the primary Early Childhood Online Magazine and co-chairs AMTA’s Early Childhood Network. Dr. Kern is the recipient of the 2012 national service award of the American Music Therapy Association and 2014 service award of the World Federation of Music Therapy.  

 

Professional MembershipS


 


World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT)  


International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI)


International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)


Council of Exceptional Children (CEC)

 

American Music Therapy Association (AMTA)               


Western Region American Music Therapy Association (WRAMTA)                                    

 

Canadian Association of Music Therapy (CAMT)            


German Society of Music Therapy (DMtG)

 

President/Chair/Board Member

  1. •Past President of the World Federation of Music Therapy

  2. •2008-2011 President of the World Federation of Music Therapy

  3. •2006-2010 Chair of the AMTA Student Affairs Advisory Board

  4. •Co-Chair, AMTA Early Childhood Network

  5. •2009 Co-Chair, AMTA Online CMTE Committee

  6. •Editor-in-Chef, imagine Early Childhood Online Magazine

  7. •Member of the Editorial Board of Music Therapy Perspectives

  8. •Member of the Editorial Review Committee of the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy

  9. •2008-2014 Member of the Inaugural Editorial Board of Music and Medicine

  10. •External Reviewer, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (JADD) and Journal of Early Intervention (JEI), The NZ Journal of Music Therapy, and Journal of Music Therapy


Committees/Task Force

  1. •Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2017 World Congress of Music Therapy hold in Tsukuba, Japan

  2. •Member of the Steering Committee, AMTA Strategic Priority on Music Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder

  3. •Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2014 World Congress of Music Therapy hold in Vienna/Krems, Austria

  4. •Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2011 World Congress of Music Therapy hold in Seoul, Korea

  5. •Reviewer of the World Congress of Music Therapy Scholarship for Students 2011 and 2014

  6. •Reviewer, 2009 AMTA Student Conference Scholarship Award

  7. •Member of the International Scientific Committee, 2008 World Congress of Music Therapy held in Buenos Aires, Argentina

  8. •Member, AMTA Autism Task Force 2007-2009

  9. •Member, Grupo de Investigacion: Musica, Education y Terapia de Andalusia, Spain 2007-2010

  10. •Member of the Application Review Committee, Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund

  11. •Member of the CAMT Education Committee

 

Certified Instructor

  1. •NICU-MT, National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

  2. •Kindermusik I, Kindermusik International, Greensboro, NC

  3. •Therapeutic Yoga, White Lotus Foundation, Santa Barbara, CA

  4. •Ritual Body Posture and Ecstatic Trance, Cuyamungue Institute, NM


Awards

2014

  1. •First International Service Award of the World Federation of Music Therapy

2013

  1. •Faculty Innovation and Excellence Grant, Marylhurst University

2012

  1. •National Service Award of the American Music Therapy Association

2008

  1. •National Research/Publications Award of the American Music Therapy Association