Rachel Norris (MA, MTA) is a board-certified Music Therapist in Tiohtiá:ke /Montreal. After completing her bachelor’s in clarinet performance from McGill University in 2013, Rachel began her training in music therapy at Concordia University through the graduate diploma program, completed in 2019. She went on to graduate from her Master’s in music therapy from Concordia University in 2021. Her thesis, published on Spectrum, explored the theoretical foundations of attachment and the use of music therapy with families. Rachel worked for three years as a music therapist in a specialized school for children with disabilities. She now works as the Public Outreach Coordinator for the Creative Arts Therapies Department of Concordia University, working to develop community-based creative arts therapies programs for Montreal’s neurodivergent communities. Rachel served as CACP Chapter Special Projects Coordinator from 2021-2023, as Co-President alongside Lorelei Dietz from 2023-2025, and was recently voted in for a second 2-year term as sole president in May 2025. 

Elaine Cheung, MMT, CT, MTA is a Chinese-Canadian music therapist and counselling therapist, living and working in Moh’kinstsis/Calgary. She owns a private practice with focus on providing support for mental health and (re)habilitation needs. Through a humanistic and music-centred approach, she believes in developing meaningful therapeutic relationships to maximize a person’s potential for change and growth. Elaine earned her Master of Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University, Advanced Certificate in Performance on the Clarinet, as well as a Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Toronto. She is also on the executive board of the Music Therapy Association for Alberta. When not practicing music therapy, you can find Elaine playing in a community wind ensemble, reading, or dabbling in art and photography.  

Jessica has begun her first year at St. Stephen’s College for her Master’s in Psychotherapy and Spirituality, specializing in Art Therapy. 

Jessica is a recent graduate from the University of Alberta. She has had a passion for both the creative arts and mental health treatment, and is excited to combine these two concepts to help others fully express themselves.

She is now excited to start her new role as our Student Representative for the CACP.

Emmily Lai (she/her) is an art therapist who works in Mississauga, Ontario, the ancestral homelands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations, Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Wyandot peoples. She completed her masters degree in the Creative Arts Therapies program at Concordia University. Her master’s research explored group art therapy interventions for autistic adults and the use of found objects. She works with children, youth, and adults with neurodiversity, mood disorders, and complex trauma in community settings. Her art therapy uses a humanistic approach to support and honour her clients’ lived experiences, intersectional identities and abilities to develop confidence, personal growth and well-being through art-making. She serves as the CACP Membership Coordinator (2024-2026).

My dance journey began at the age of 4. Since my childhood, my dances transpired more than my words. I was fortunate to turn my passion into a career and danced, performed, and taught professionally for 19 years. Recognizing the power, benefits, and depth of non-verbal communication and with a strong desire to share the benefits of dance and movement, I pursued a Master’s degree in Dance Movement Psychotherapy at the University of Roehampton in London and graduated with distinction in 2023. I now provide support in various environments such as communities, hospitals, and schools and I support people to (re)connect with their bodies as a means of well-being and healing. My approach is person-centered, trauma-informed, humanist, and feminist, grounded in a cultural humility approach.

Jessica Jurgenliemk is a certified music therapist (MTA) from Nova Scotia. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, having newly completed her Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality at St. Stephen’s College including a capstone research project on the integration of music therapy and counselling/psychotherapy by dually-certified professionals. This topic is close to Jessica’s heart as she begins her professional career and works to advocate for music therapy in a mainstream counselling context. Jessica also enjoys recording and performing as a singer-songwriter, and Lindy Hop social dancing!