Biography

I work with individuals who experience difficulties with which they are learning to live and about which they search for meaning. I understand therapy clients as learners striving to make sense of their various situations. I understand therapy to be education-about-the-self within the context of individuals, families, and communities.

Mary H. Rykov, PhD, MTA, FAMI lives in Toronto.

She is a creative music therapist, skilled at synthesizing theory, practice, and reflexive insight. Having extensive clinical experience with diverse populations from a wide variety of age groups, her work is characterized by integrity, dedication, and commitment to clients, students, research, and to the field of music therapy.

In 2009, while completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Canadian Cancer Society through an award from the National Cancer Institute of Canada at McGill University (Oncology & Palliative Care) and the University of Saskatchewan (Community Health & Epidemology), Mary Rykov was injured in surgery.

Due to these injuries, Ms. Rykov is not presently involved in direct client care or research. She currently provides teaching and curriculum development for Centennial College, as well as music therapy supervision and consultation.

Other activities include:

Moderatlng a community of practice website for the Canadian Association of Music Therapy through the Canadian Virtual Hospice (www.virtualhospice.ca) supported by Cancerview Canada (www.cancerview.ca) with the Advisory Group of Louise Cadrin (Regina), Erin Montgomery (Halifax), Adrienne Pringle (Mississauga), Deborah Salmon (Montreal), and Valerie Weeks (Vancouver);

Participating as member of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario's Regulation Committee regarding the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario;

Serving as member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of the Association for Music & Imagery, with previous reviews for Supportive Care in Cancer, Journal of Palliative Care, Music and Medicine, the Journal of Health Psychology, and the Sage Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Social Science Research;

Providing developmental/substantive, stylistic, and copy editing (www.editors.ca/profile/7836/mary-rykov); and

Developing best practices instructional guidelines for the Toronto Branch Seminars Committee, Editors Association of Canada.