Cathy Befi-Hensel
Music Therapy Program Director General Music, Music Therapy Office Location: Music Building 229 Phone: (210) 829-3856 Email: befi@uiwtx.eduDr. Cathy Befi-Hensel is an Assistant Professor of Music at UIW, where she serves as the Director of the Music Therapy program and teaches several music therapy courses. As a Board-Certified Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist, Dr. Befi has worked with clients across a wide range of ages and diagnoses, and she remains an active clinician, facilitating and supervising sessions in the UIW Music Therapy Services Center. She co-authored the book "Music, Memory, and Meaning: How to effectively use music to connect with aging loved ones," which is available on Amazon. Dr. Befi’s research interests include functional music skill assessment, music therapy student preparedness, and the role of music therapy in interdisciplinary rehabilitative treatment.
- Ph.D., Expressive Therapies - Lesley University
- M.M., Music Therapy - Sam Houston State University
- B.M., Music Therapy - University of the Incarnate Word
- B.S., Electrical/Computer Engineering - The University of Texas at Austin
- Instructor, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas (2022 - 2023)
- Part-time Lecturer, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas (2013 - 2022)
- Graduate Assistant, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas (2012 - 2013)
A clinical music therapist since 2010, Dr. Befi has worked with clients in a variety of settings including the UIW Music Therapy Services Center, inpatient post-acute rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, memory care and assisted living facilities, and in-home.
Book:
- Music, Memory, and Meaning: How to effectively use music to connect with aging loved ones. Whelk & Waters Publishing, 2017.
Selected Presentations:
- What is Competency? Exploring Perceptions of Functional Musicianship in Music Therapy (2023). Lesley University.
- Military Cultural Considerations for Music Therapists (2023). Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association Regional Conference.
- Music, Memory, and Meaning: How to effectively use music to connect with aging loved ones (2022). Virtual Presentation, HFC Carecon.
- Music Therapy with Grief and Loss. Virtual presentation, 2021 Grief Education Symposium, Children's Bereavement Center Rio Grande Valley.
- Exploring Functional Musicianship in Pre-Internship Music Therapy Students (2021). Lesley University
- American Music Therapy Association
- Central Texas Music Therapy Association
Playing piano, board games, video games, gluten-free baking
- Board-Certified Music Therapist
- Neurologic Music Therapist
- UIW Music Therapy Services Center
- American Music Therapy Association:
- Academic Program Approval Committee
- Music Therapy Informed Music Listening Workgroup
- Secretary, Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association
- Advisory Board, Project Infinity
- Music therapy functional music skill assessment
- Pre-internship student readiness
- Music therapy pedagogy
- Interdisciplinary rehabilitative treatment
- Neurologic Music Therapy for wellness
- MUTH 1301: Introduction to Music Therapy
- MUTH 2271: Clinical Orientation
- MUTH 2388: Piano Improvisation
- MUTH 3301: Psychology of Music
- MUTH 4300: Senior Seminar
- MUTH 4301: Music Therapy Internship