Lorena Surducan

Originally from Transylvania, Romania, Lorena Surducan is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at Florida State University. She initially pursued a career in piano performance, competing nationally and internationally. After beginning her studies at the conservatory at the University of Transylvania, she ultimately decided to shift her focus and pursue an undergraduate degree in music therapy at Mississippi University for Women.

Surducan completed her master’s degree in music therapy at the University of Miami and her PhD in Music Education with an emphasis in Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. She worked as a teaching assistant at both universities, where she taught courses as an instructor of record, led music therapy sessions, and supervised undergraduate and graduate students in their practicum courses. As part of a project, Surducan developed three piano courses designed specifically for music therapists. One of these courses was implemented at the University of Kansas, where she had the opportunity to teach it. The success of the course contributed to the development of a full-time faculty position within the Music Education and Music Therapy program.

Her clinical experience spans a variety of populations and settings, including work with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, adults undergoing cancer treatment, and older adults receiving hospice and dementia care. She has practiced as a music therapist in both Florida and Kansas, working as a contractor with various organizations and in clinical and hospital settings, including the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami.

Surducan’s research focuses on the use of music in the treatment of specific phobia, with particular interest in how music may be used to support physiological awareness during treatment. Her work has included rapid scoping reviews, theory development, conceptual model development, and a music-based intervention manual designed to promote physiological awareness, a key component in the treatment of specific phobia. She has presented her research at national and international conferences and has received research funding from both the University of Miami and the University of Kansas.

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