Mike Zanders

Dr. Michael Zanders’ research foci includes a variety of topics related to advanced clinical theory, practice, and reflexive research in music therapy. His recent research has focused on music therapy treatment practices in working with youth in the child welfare system. Particularly, foster care youth. He has over 20 years of clinical experience including intellectual and developmental disabilities, heart transplant patients, and severely traumatized and abused youth.

Zanders has presented extensively regionally, nationally and internationally at conferences and workshops, and has published both within the music therapy and counseling/psychotherapy fields. Prior to coming to Temple University, he served as the program coordinator at Texas Woman’s University (TWU). In this role, was he awarded the Innovation in Academia Award for distinguished and innovative leadership. He has developed comprehensive education and clinical training programs that emphasize foundational understanding of competencies and dispositions for music therapy students.

Zanders is dedicated and committed to the field and practice of music therapy. He currently serves as a co-chair for AMTA’s Academic Program Approval Committee (APAC) and has served on various other committees for AMTA and CBMT.