Barbara Ashton

Assistant Professor of Music Therapy and Director of Music Therapy

High-Res Image

More about Barbara Ashton

Professor Barbara Ashton is the Music Therapist in Residence at Wartburg College. She received her BA in psychology and music from University of Arizona, Tucson, and did her music therapy training at Arizona State University in Tempe. Professor Ashton’s primary focus in music therapy is mental health, trauma-informed care, and chemical dependency. She has worked extensively with adolescent, adult, forensic, military, and women’s-only populations. Ms. Ashton has also worked with children with development delays and older adults with dementia. Additionally, Professor Ashton has been a massage therapist for 15 years, and prior to her training in music therapy, she worked in human services at a domestic violence shelter and a community welfare program. Professor Ashton has taught at a massage therapy school and has also given several workshops and guest lectures on music therapy. Ms. Ashton loves to incorporate drumming, singing, and group songwriting into her sessions, which focus on cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and improvisational perspectives. Professor Ashton’s overall approach to music therapy is transpersonal in nature, and she uses a variety of clinical tools and perspectives to help meet clients’ and students’ goals. Her hobbies include yoga, reading, watching Netflix, cooking/baking vegetarian food, meditation, aromatherapy, and social justice advocacy.