Meet the Music Therapy Team

Staff Members

Cassie Ferrer, MT-BC, NICU-MT, is a board-certified music therapist in the Music Therapy Program within the Child Life and Integrative Care Services department at Children’s National Hospital, which serves all inpatient units except Hematology/Oncology and Psychiatry. Cassie graduated from Florida State University with her bachelor’s degree in music therapy and additional training in counseling and developmental disabilities. She completed her internship at Orlando Health hospitals, including Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. In addition, Cassie completed medical music therapy and NICU-Music Therapy trainings with the National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy. Prior to beginning with Children’s National Hospital, Cassie founded and led a hospice music therapy program servicing Northern Virginia. Cassie is trained in NICU Music Therapy and specializes in premature infants, trauma, children with special needs, and end-of-life care.

John Kuykendall, MAMT, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist in the Music Therapy Program within the Child Life and Integrative Care Services department at Children’s National Hospital, which serves all inpatient units except Hematology/Oncology and Psychiatry.

John graduated from Immaculata University with a Master of Arts in Music Therapy degree after finishing his field work at Springfield Hospital Center, an inpatient forensic psychiatric facility in Sykesville, MD. John continued his work with adults and adolescents at an inpatient psychiatric facility in the Washington, D.C., area for several years before joining Children’s National Hospital.

In research that began during his graduate program, John is currently studying music therapy as a means of reducing insomnia symptoms in veterans with PTSD. John specializes in mental health, adolescents, trauma, group work and representation of self in music.

Ashley Warmbrodt, MA, MT-BC, started the Music Therapy Program within Child Life and Integrative Care Services at Children’s National Hospital, which serves all inpatient units except Hematology/Oncology and Psychiatry.

Ashley graduated from Maryville University in Saint Louis with her Bachelor of Science in Music Therapy, after finishing her internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Special School District St. Louis, and Kids Rock Cancer. After practicing music therapy for three years in Saint Louis, Ashley earned her Master of Arts in Psychology of Music from the University of Sheffield, England. While there, Ashley conducted research on musical emotions, which was published in Psychology of Music.

Ashley is trained in Neurologic Music Therapy, and specializes in children with special needs, oncology, neurology, cardiology, trauma and eating disorders.