Chief Operating Officer & Music Therapist
Neurologic Music Therapist – Affiliate
Jeff is a neurologic music therapist with over a decade of experience designing and growing creative arts therapy programs for children, teens, and adults. He has also worked for nearly two decades in early childhood and music program development. Jeff is a founding member, administrator, and former director of Kids Town Child Development Center in Brunswick, Ohio.
Jeff’s holistic and neuroscience-based approach to service delivery encourages people to embrace their creativity, strengths, and drive their care through informed decisions, artistic interests, and relationship building. He believes that creativity is essential for accessing and maintaining health, and that equitable access to the arts creates healthier communities. Jeff has a long history of helping individuals with anxiety, depression, trauma, emotional development, social skills, and physical rehabilitation. He specializes in working with individuals with aphasia, dementia, neurodivergent individuals, and cult survivors.
In addition to his role at ITA, Jeff is a local university lecturer, regional speaker, researcher, and author. His publications include the topics of music therapy for social skill development (Music Therapy Social Skills Assessment), creating effective care teams, and music intervention and dementia. Jeff has chaired boards and committees within the American Music Therapy Association and the Great Lakes Region of the American Music Therapy Association. He also serves on Evanston’s mental health task force and volunteers on local community working groups.
Jeff’s hobbies and personal wellness practices include drumming, adventures on Lake Michigan, camping, DIY renovation, and woodworking.
Jeff is not currently accepting new clients.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Education and Affiliations: Master of Music in Music Therapy with an emphasis in Counseling from Ohio University, Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performance from University of Akron, Neurologic Music Therapy-Fellow (NMT-F) certification from the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University, currently an active NMT Affiliate, and Executive Leadership training from the Northwestern Kellogg School of Management
intake@itachicago.org