Meet The REBECca center Music Therapy Staff
Our clinical staff is comprised of experienced and professionally credentialed music therapists, possessing undergraduate and graduate degrees in music therapy. All of our therapists are Board Certified Music Therapists (MT-BC). In addition, several staff hold Doctoral degrees, advanced clinical certifications and are licensed by New York State. In addition to professional staff, undergraduate and graduate music therapy interns and practicum students participate in therapy sessions (music therapy students' work is closely followed and supervised by staff members).
Clinicians, Researchers, Educators
John A. Carpente, MA, CMT, NRMT
Jill Lucente, MT-BC
Dr. Suzanne Nowikas Sorel, MT-BC, NRMT
Midori Tsujimoto, MT-BC
Gabriela Ortiz, MT-BC
Administrative Staff
Monica McHugh Morello
Clinicians, Researchers, Educators
Dr. Carpente is an Assistant Professor of Music and Music Therapy at Molloy College, Founder and Executive Director of the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, and is the Founding Clinical Director of the Center for Autism and Child Development at Molloy College. In addition, he is the owner of Developmental Music Health Services, LLC and is the Founding music therapist and creator of the DIR-based music therapy program at a prominent school in New York City where he participated in weekly supervision and case conferences with Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan since 2006.
Dr. Carpente received his Master of Arts from the Steinhardt School of Education and Human Development at New York University where he also completed his advanced clinical certification, Levels 1 and 2, in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. He later went on to complete his doctoral degree in music therapy from Temple University. In addition, Dr. Carpente has extensive training in client development in the DIR®/Floortime™ Model.
Dr. Carpente has over 15 years of clinical and supervisory experience working in a variety of settings as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and program director serving children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. He has worked with a wide range of populations including Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, and other developmental challenges. In addition, he has treated individuals afflicted with substance abuse, dementia, Alzheimer's Disease as well as children and adolescents with emotional challenges. He has also provided clinical supervision to mental heath and creative arts therapy professionals, as well as supervising countless interns and practicum students from various universities and colleges throughout the United States.
As a researcher Dr. Carpente's work has focused on measuring the effects of interactive music therapy techniques, integrated within the DIR®/Floortime™ Model, on the social-emotional development of children with Autism. In addition, his research evaluated the relationships between levels of musical responsiveness and developmental milestones within the context of musical-play. This led to the development of The Individual Music-Centered Assessment Profile for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (IMCAP-ND®) was created. In 2009 he was the recipient of the "Excellence in Music Therapy Research Award by Temple University."
As a program developer and advocate, Dr. Carpente He has served on several boards and committees with special attention to autism and child development. His advocacy and consultation have resulted in the development of numerous first-time music therapy programs in DIR®/Floortime™ and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) based schools, clinics, community centers, hospitals, day-treatment centers, and after school programs throughout Long Island and New York City. In 2004 he was the recipient of the Outstanding "Contributions to the Discipline and Profession of Music Therapy Award" by the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University.
As an educator, Dr. Carpente has been a faculty member of Molloy of College since 2001, assisting in the development of the Master of Science degree in music therapy, as well as being an instructor/clinical supervisor the new Nordoff-Robbins Music therapy Certification Training Program. His teaching style involves the use of both, didactic and experiential experiences. He has taught and continues to teach a wide range of graduate and undergraduate music therapy courses including: introductory courses, clinical improvisation, clinical musicianship, internship seminar, functional piano and guitar, psychotherapy theories and their relationships to music therapy, music therapy repertoire, treatment planning, foundations of group therapy work, music therapy methods (children, adults, and the elderly), quantitative and qualitative research, and advising thesis. In 2011 Dr. Carpente was awarded the Faculty Recognition Award for excellence in teaching in the music therapy graduate program.
Jill Lucente, MS, MT-BC, is a professionally credentialed, board certified music therapist. Jill serves as the Program Coordinator and is a clinical supervisor for The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy at Molloy College where she has been working since 2005. Jill has a broad range of clinical and supervisory experience and has presenting her work at various professional conferences. Currently her clinical focus is working with young children with developmental disabilities and generalized learning disabilities. Jill received her Masters of Science degree in Music Therapy from Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY where she is also an adjunct professor for undergraduate music therapy students. Jill is currently pursuing advanced certification training in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy at Molloy College.
Suzanne Sorel, DA, MT-BC, LCAT, NRMT, is Associate Dean and Director of Graduate Music Therapy at Molloy College where she has taught in the music department since 1991. She is also the Director of Education and Training at the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy and the Director of the new Nordoff-Robbins Center training offered through the Center and the Graduate Program. Prior to coming to Molloy, she worked at United Cerebral palsy of Nassau County with developmentally disabled adults, the School for Language and Communication Development, and Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, where she was a clinical supervisor as well as a senior therapist 13 years. Dr. Sorel has presented her clinical work both nationally and internationally and has authored several book chapters and published numerous children's songs for therapy.
Midori Tsujimoto, MS, MT-BC, NRMT, originally from Japan, is a board certified music therapist and has been part of The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, working with children and adolescents with special needs in individual and group settings, since 2008.
Midori has completed her Masters of Science degree in Music Therapy from Molloy College and her advanced certification training in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
Gabriela S. Ortiz, MT-BC, is a professionally credentialed board certified music therapist at The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, where she is a clinician and clinical supervisor for undergraduate students. She has presented her work at professional conferences on a national level. She is currently completing her Master of Science degree in Music Therapy from Molloy College in May 2012 and has completed her advanced certification training in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
Gabriela also serves as adjunct professor for undergraduate music therapy students at Molloy College.
Monica McHugh Morello is an administrative assistant at The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy. In addition to her time at the Center, Monica has been extremely active in the Long Island community; leading, organizing, developing and chairing countless charity events for local schools, churches and other community programs and organizations.
The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy began in 1999 when certified music therapist John Carpente created Music for Living, an organization providing music therapy services to children with special needs and to persons afflicted with HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. In February of 2000, Music for Living developed an on-site, out-patient music therapy clinic in Melville, New York servicing special needs' children ages 3-15 with various disabilities.
In 2001, Music for Living incorporated as a non-profit organization and became "The Rebecca Center, Inc." and in 2002 received its 501(c) 3 non-profit status. In June 2002, The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy dramatically expanded its services by opening a music therapy clinic on the campus of Molloy College in Rockville Centre, New York. The Molloy College facility is the first music therapy center in Nassau County.
Since 2002 The Rebecca Center, through outreach and its on-site clinic, has served hundreds of special needs people throughout Long Island and New York.
For more information, please email us at TRCinfo@molloy.edu.