Kathinka Poismans

It's all in the music

About me

At six I started playing piano and fooling around with music.  This became more serious when I went to the conservatory of music to study classical piano. Although passionate about playing piano, fooling around with music never left me. I became interested in the musical interaction and this led me in the direction of music therapy. I ended up as both a graduated piano player and music therapist.  But the curiosity for knowledge about musical interaction and how music moves people had only increased. And you can take   'being moved by music' quite literally as at that time of my life dancing was introduced. 
The wish to learn more about the therapeutic value of music led on it's turn to my Masters degree in music therapy.  And despite my eagerness for performing the music,  playing with others and dancing, I accepted the challenge of a doctoral study which I finished in 2014.

All that time I kept dancing oriental dance, Argentine tango and classical ballet. Finally dancing tango became my second passion next to making music. Theorizing about it I could say that it is a perfect symbioses of being moved by music in interaction.

If you wish to find out more details about my education and career you can look under My CV

Education


  • HAVO (Dutch secondary modern school) level A, Maastricht  (1980)
  • Muziektherapie (music therapy) Middeloo Amersfoort (1986)
  • Conservatory classical piano, Maastricht (1990)
  • Master music therapy research, Heerlen (2006, cum laude)
  • PhD in music therapy, Münster, Germany (2014, summa cum laude)
  • Fellowship neurologic music therapy, (2015)

Work

1988 - 1991      accomp.  conservatory, Maastricht 

1989 - 1990     accomp. theater school, Maastricht 

1991 - 1992      music therapist KDV, Stein 

1991 - 1992      music therapist Vijverdal, Maastricht 

1993 - 2001    music therapist De Losserhof, Losser 

1999 - 2010    co-founder ViaMuziek, Oldenzaal 

2001 - 2005   music therapist o.d. Kap, Hengelo 

2006 - 2019   senior tutor Arts Therapy, Heerlen 

2010 -              founder ViaMuziek Zuid, Roermond 

2018 -              sen. advisor m. th.  Codarts Rotterdam 

2018 -              piano teacher  Bachelor music therapy 

2021 -              coordinator MProject MoM, Maastricht 

 

picture from Yiyi de la Mota

Publications

  •  Poismans, K., van, Os, K., Henstra, S. en Veldhuizen, R. (2006). Kinder- and jeugdpsychiatrie. In: H. Smeijsters (red.) Handboek muziektherapie. Houten: Bohn Stafleu Van Loghum. 
  • Poismans, K. (2008). Samen Lachen. In: H. Smeijsters (red.) De Kunsten van het Leven. Veen Magazines. 
  • Poismans, K. (2009) Shared Time, Timing in muziektherapie met autistische kinderen (Timing in Music Therapy with Autistic Children). Wetenschappelijk Tijdschrift Autisme, theorie en praktijk, 8(1) 14-20. 
  • Poismans, K. (2010) Timing in muzikale interactie. De noodzaak en ontwikkeling van een muziektherapeutisch observatie-instrument. Tijdschrift voor Vaktherapie 6(1) 46-51. 
  • Poismans, K. (2014) Geteilte Zeit – gemeinsame Zeit. Entwicklung eines Messinstrumentes zum Timing in der Musiktherapie mit autistische Kindern. Enschede: Ipskamp Drukkers. 
  • Van Hooren, S.A.H., Vink, A., Poismans, K., Van Bruggen-Rufi, M. & Hakvoort, L. (2014) De klemtoon op muziek en therapie. Tijdschrift De psycholoog, 2014(4), 10-18. 
  • Poismans, K., Smeijsters, H. & Vink, A. (red.) (2015) De ontwikkeling van Muziektherapie in Nederland: Impressies van pioniers. Enschede: Ipskamp Drukkers. 
  • Poismans, K. (2019) In the beginning there was, ‘Music’. In Dongelmans, N.T. Reinvorgerated Caregivers. 7 Amazing ways to become remarkable at caring  for people with dementia (p 94 – p 102). Ontario: Black Card Books. 

Temporary posts

  •  2005 - 2007 co-organizer  European conference on music therapy 
  • 2005 - 2012  co-organizer, Autism and music therapy 
  • 2006 - 2015 secretary, Music Therapy Foundation 
  • 2007 - 2012 committee member Registration of arts therapists 
  • 2015 - 2018 chair Music Therapy Foundation 
  • 2015 - 2016 ASS standard Federation of arts therapy 
  •  2017  trainer in stress control of singers. Bejing, China
  •  2018  member accredition committee NVAO
  •  2021 -  exam committee of conservatory, Maastricht