Channing Shippen
Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Placements of Music Therapy
College of Music & Performing Arts
Dr. Shippen holds a BM in music therapy from Berklee College of Music (2012), as well as an MA in music therapy from Berklee College of Music (2017), and a PhD in music therapy from Temple University (2025)
channing.shippen@belmont.eduBiography
Dr. Channing Shippen joined the School of Music faculty in August 2022. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and earned her PhD in Music Therapy from Temple University. In recognition of her doctoral work, Dr. Shippen received the 2025 Music Therapy Research Award from Temple University for her dissertation, Perspectives on Group Music Therapy Encounters with People Experiencing Homelessness: A Narrative Inquiry.
A Board-Certified Music Therapist with more than a decade of clinical experience, Dr. Shippen previously served as the founding Director of Music Therapy at Tufts Children’s Hospital/Tufts Medical Center in Boston and as a music therapist at the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her clinical experience spans neonatal intensive care, pediatrics, adolescents, adults, elder care, and end-of-life care, maintaining a focus in supporting the mental health goals of the individuals she works with.
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Shippen has held leadership roles in the profession, including serving as Vice President of the New England Region of the American Music Therapy Association (2017–2021) and as a National Assembly Delegate (2021–2022). Dr. Shippen has served as a clinical supervisor for music therapy internship programs and practicum students continuously since 2013. Currently, in addition to her teaching responsibilities at Belmont, she is developing community-centered music therapy programs for individuals experiencing homelessness and underserved communities.