Center Staff

Our clinical staff is comprised of experienced and professionally credentialed music therapists, possessing undergraduate and graduate degrees in music therapy. All of our therapists are Board Certified Music Therapists (MT-BC). In addition, several staff hold Doctoral degrees, advanced clinical certifications and are licensed by New York State. In addition to professional staff, undergraduate and graduate music therapy interns and practicum students participate in therapy sessions (music therapy students' work is closely followed and supervised by staff members).

John A. Carpente

John A. Carpente, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT, is an Assistant Professor of Music and Music Therapy at Molloy College, Founder and Executive Director of The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, the Founding Director of the Center for Autism and Child Development at Molloy College, and owner of Developmental Music Health Services, LLC. He is the Founding music therapist and creator of the DIR®/Floortime™-based music therapy program at the Rebecca School in New York City where he participated in weekly supervision and case conferences with Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan, co-creator of the DIR®/Floortime™.

Dr. Carpente received his Master of Arts degree from the Steinhardt School of Education and Human Development at New York University where he also completed his advanced clinical certifications, Levels 1 and 2, in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. He later went on to complete his doctoral degree in music therapy from Temple University and received his advanced practitioner certification in DIR®/Floortime™ from the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and  Learning Disorders (ICDL).

Dr. Carpente has over fifteen years of clinical and supervisory experience in a variety of settings as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and program director serving a wide range of client groups with developmental, neurological, and emotional challenges.  He has also provided clinical supervision to heath care professionals, as well as to countless music therapy professionals, interns, and practicum students from various universities and colleges throughout the United States.

A pioneer and leader in DIR®/Floortime™-based music therapy, Dr. Carpente’s clinical and research focus is on individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families, parent coaching, assessment, and supervision. Currently Dr. Carpente is the USA site manager for the TIME-A international research study involving  eight countries worldwide. It is the largest randomized controlled trial on clinical interventions for autism to date. He was the recipient of the “Excellence in Music Therapy Research Award” from Temple University and in 2012 was awarded with the esteemed “Faculty Research Achievement Award from Molloy College.”

As a program developer and advocate, Dr. Carpente has served on several boards and committees with special attention to autism spectrum disorder and child development. His advocacy and consultation have resulted in the development of numerous first-time music therapy clinical and training programs throughout Long Island and New York City. He was recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to the Discipline and Profession of Music Therapy Award by Temple University.

As an educator, Dr. Carpente has been a faculty member of Molloy of College in Rockville Centre, NY since 2001. His teaching style involves the use of both, didactic and experiential experiences. He has taught and continues to teach a wide range of graduate and undergraduate music therapy courses including: Clinical Improvisation, Internship Seminar, Functional Piano and Guitar, Psychotherapy Theories and their Relationships to Music Therapy, Music Therapy repertoire, Treatment Planning, Foundations of Group Music Therapy, Music Therapy Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Research, and Thesis Advisement. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Faculty Recognition Award voted by music therapy graduate students for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Carpente has authored several book chapters and articles on the topic of developmental relationship-based music therapy and autism spectrum disorders. He recently authored the Individual Music-Centered Assessment Profile for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (IMCAP-ND): A Clinical Manual. He has presented and lectured his work internationally and domestically.

Suzanne Sorel

Suzanne Sorel, DA, MT-BC, LCAT, is Associate Dean and Director of Graduate Music Therapy at Molloy College where she has taught in the music department since 1991. She is also the Director of Education and Training at the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy and the Director of the new Nordoff-Robbins Center training offered through the Center and the Graduate Program. Prior to coming to Molloy, she worked at United Cerebral palsy of Nassau County with developmentally disabled adults, the School for Language and Communication Development and Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, where she was a clinical supervisor as well as a senior therapist 13 years. Dr. Sorel has presented her clinical work both nationally and internationally and has authored several book chapters and published numerous children's songs for therapy.

Jill Lucente

Jill Lucente, MS, MT-BC, LCAT is a professionally credentialed, board certified music therapist. She received her Masters of Science degree in Music Therapy from Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY where she is also an adjunct professor for undergraduate music therapy majors. Jill received her advanced certification in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy at Molloy College in 2011. Jill serves as the Program Coordinator and Clinical Supervisor for The Rebecca Center for Music Therapy at Molloy College.  Jill has a broad range of clinical and supervisory experience and has presenting her work at various professional conferences. Currently her clinical focus is working with young children with developmental disabilities and generalized learning disabilities.

Mike Kelliher

Mike Kelliher, MT-BC, is a professionally credentialed, board certified music therapist at the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Music Therapy from Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY where he is currently finishing his Masters degree. He has presented at professional conferences on his work within music-centered and relationship-based music therapy as well as the IMCAP-ND. 

Laura Kestemberg

Laura Kestemberg, Ph.D., is currently the Clinical Director at the Center for Autism and Child Development. She is a bilingual Spanish-English NYS Licensed Psychologist who received her PhD. in Clinical Psychology and her Masters in Clinical/School Pychology from Adelphi University. She has completed post-graduate work in neuropsychology. Dr. Kestemberg has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including community clinics, hospitals, universities, head injury rehab units, and schools providing counseling and assessment services for 20 years.

In the recent past, she served as Assistant Director and Supervising Psychologist at the Family and Children’s Association Long Island Counseling Center, a community based clinic serving children and adults. Before that position, she was a Clinical Associate Professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education in the School Psychology Department, and the Director of Fordham University’s School Consulation and Early Childhood Center, an assessment and counseling center that served as a training site for Fordham University’s Masters and Doctoral level students. She has worked as a bilingual school psychologist at ACLD (Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilties) Kramer Learning Center in Bay Shore, and at other schools in Nassau County. She has held positions as a Neuropsychologist in the Head Injury Rehabilitation Unit at St. Johnland Nursing Center in Kings Park and at the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit at Park Terrace Care Center in Rego Park, NY . She has co-authored book chapters and articles related to neuropsychological assessment and cultural diversity issues in psychology and counseling.

She maintains a part time private practice in Woodmere where she provides therapeutic and assessment services to chidlren, adolescents, and adults, and consults with local schools on behavioral management techniques with children.

Her research and clinical interests include developmental and emotional disabilities and their effects on family members, psychological and neuropsychological assessment of children and adults, cross-cultural psychology, psychotherapy and counseling with clients from diverse backgrounds, and supervision and mentoring of psychology students.

She  began teaching at Molloy’s Psychology and Counseling Department in September 2012 and was hired to develop the proposal on the Masters in Science Program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She joined the Center for Autism and Child Development in August of 2013.

Laura De Gennaro

Laura De Gennaro, Psy.D., is currently the clinical coordinator for the Center for Autism and Child Development at The Rebecca Center and conducting assessments for the TIME-A International Research Study. She has received her Masters of Science from Hofstra University in School-Community Psychology. She has provided directed services as well as psychological assessments to toddlers, young children, adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Laura has a broad range of clinical experience and has participated in research with children with Autism and the role of play therapy.

Stephanie Cestaro

Stephanie Cestaro is currently the Office Managerat The RebeccaCenter for Music Therapy and has worked with children with special needs over the past few years. Outside of the Center, Stephanie spends her time actively serving in her Civic Association, as well as managing the finances and travel arrangementsof her sons’ athletic teams. Stephanie also volunteers her time with her church, local charities and community events across Long Island.

Diana Abourafeh

Diana Abourafeh is currently an Administrative Assistant at the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy on Saturdays. She is currently enrolled in the undergraduate music therapy program at Molloy College. As a student, she has participated in observational and fieldwork studies at various locations that pertain to the needs of various populations, including but not limited to children with developmental disabilities. In addition, Diana is the president of the music therapy club at Molloy College and is very active in service to the local community.