Conservatory of Music

Therese Marie West

Therese West. Ph. D., MT-BC, F.A.M.I.  is Director of the Music Therapy Program at the University of the Pacific and a Board Certified Music Therapist with extensive clinical experience in psychiatric, oncology, and medical/rehabilitation settings.  Dr. West has served on the Editorial Board of Music Therapy Perspectives, is Past President and Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery, and a member of the training staff of the Therapeutic Arts Institute. She earned a Master of Music in Music Therapy at the University of Miami, where she conducted a qualitative multiple case study of the Bonny Method of GIM with breast cancer survivors. Therese went on to earn research support from the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, for her work as therapist and research assistant for the University of Miami’s Center for Psycho-Oncology Research. She has a Ph. D. from the University of Miami in Interdepartmental Studies: Music Therapy and Health Psychology; there she investigated emotion-focused coping as a possible moderator of psychological and neuroendocrine reponses to music-evoked imagery.

Dr. West teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music therapy and music education.  She coordinates Music Therapy Program collaborations with Pacific’s Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology Programs, as well as numerous community partners, supporting and expanding services to individuals in our local area while providing innovative education, training, and research opportunities for our students.

Part Native American, Dr. West is particularly interested in multicultural and diversity issues in music therapy practice, research, and teaching.  A flautist for many years, she has developed a unique approach to palliative improvisation which she calls “deep listening”.

Conservatory of Music
University of the Pacific
3601 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95211
209.946.2419
  Therese West