Dr. Christine Leist

Dr. Christine Leist joined Appalachian’s Hayes School of Music faculty in 2000. Having provided clinical music therapy services primarily for adult and older adult medical populations, Leist has supervised pre-internship students across a wide variety of ages and populations. Her research interests include music therapy applications in neurorehabilitation and health-care settings. Her research has focused on active and receptive music therapy interventions for adults with heart disease and music-assisted relaxation for women self-referred for stress management.

She holds a Ph.D. in music education with a music therapy cognate from Michigan State University (2011), a Master of Music in music therapy from the University of Miami (1997), and a Bachelor of Music in music therapy from The Florida State University (1992). Leist has completed additional training in Orff-Schulwerk, Neurologic Music Therapy and the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. She has presented at state, regional and national music therapy conferences on uses of technology in teaching, self-care for the professional, music of the Appalachian region, music therapy in health-care settings, functional guitar techniques and college teaching.

At Appalachian, Leist has served as a member of the University Research Council, the Wilson Scholars Selection Committee, and is currently a member of the State Employees' Combined Campaign (SECC) Advisory Board.

Areas of expertise

• Music therapy