A musician since the age of five, Kirsten completed undergraduate training in music therapy at Wilfrid Laurier University, and graduate studies in music therapy at Concordia University in Montreal. Kirsten has over 24 years of clinical experience, including pediatric rehabilitation for children with physical and mental challenges, long term care for seniors with dementia, and with clients and families receiving palliative care.
Her interests in research and writing have led her to contribute to the music therapy literature in Canadian and international journals. She has served on the boards of both the Canadian Association of Music Therapists and the Music Therapy Association of British Columbia. In her personal life, she enjoys performing chamber music.
