Assistant Professor Rachel Rotert earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Drury University,
majoring in Music Therapy and minoring in Global Studies. She earned her Master of
Music from Colorado State University. During her graduate studies, Professor Rotert
completed courses that built her competence in areas of neuroscience-informed music
therapy and trauma-informed clinical approaches. Professor Rotert teaches undergraduate
and graduate courses in music therapy which include Research Writing in Music, Models
of Integral Thinking, and Clinical Musicianship.
Prior to her appointment at Radford University, Professor Rotert served as Expressive
Therapy Manager within an inpatient psychiatric hospital. As a Board Certified Music
Therapist, Rotert has extensive clinical experience with survivors of complex interpersonal
trauma and children within the foster system. Prior to her clinical leadership roles,
Rotert owned a private music therapy practice and worked in a variety of settings
including: community mental health, substance use recovery, elementary education,
physical rehabilitation, elder care, and medical.
Rotert has a passion for clinical education and training, which has led her to shift
from clinical administrative roles to higher education. Rotert has supervised music
therapy interns and clinical practicum students as well as students within other healthcare
disciplines including therapeutic recreation, art therapy, social work, and nursing.
She has also partnered with her previous clinical directors to offer educational workshops
to interdisciplinary clinical teams regarding burnout prevention, strength-based collaboration,
and trauma-informed care. Rotert is committed to preparing Radford students to enter
all clinical interactions with a strong knowledge base and an empathetic presence.
In 2020, Rotert had the opportunity to partner with Blythe LaGasse and other graduate
students within her cohort to publish an article within Music Therapy Perspectives entitled “COVID-19 and Music Therapists’ Employment, Service Delivery, Perceived Stress,
and Hope: A Descriptive Study.” This study was completed within the initial months
of the COVID-19 pandemic and included over one thousand survey participants. Rotert’s
current research interests include burnout prevention for healthcare providers and
trauma-informed clinical considerations for music therapists.