Biography

Linda Levine Madori, Ph.D, author of Therapeutic Thematic Arts Programming for Older Adults, has worked in the field of Health Care as a therapist, teacher, advisor, researcher, supervisor and innovator of new methodology with regard to providing programming to the older population and specifically those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Since 1991, Dr. Levine Madori has been a People to People Ambassador Leader and has presented papers and lectured extensively in over 12 countries including Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Indonesia, Lithuanian, Prague, Russia, China and Italy. Having credentials in both Therapeutic Recreation (M.S.) and Art Therapy (ATR-BC) she also holds a New York State Licensing in Creative Arts Therapy (ATR-BC#000971-1), she has had the unique experience to be professionally active on the state level and internationally in moving both professional fields forward into the 21 century. She has chaired the Leisure and Aging Track of the American Society on Aging, served on the Leisure and Aging Section of the National Recreation and Park Association, developed professional educational intensives for the American Art Therapy Association, and implemented workshops and professional panel presentations for educators, therapists and psychotherapists as an Ambassador Leader to the People to People International Educational Program.
Dr. Levine Madori has worked as a Professor for the past 13 years at St. Thomas Aquinas College, receiving tenure in 2007. Receiving her Ph.D, in Health Education Studies from New York University, her dissertation titled; Alzheimer’s Disease, Cognitive Functioning and Psychosocial Well-being (In press, VMD Publishing, 2009) is the basis for Therapeutic Thematic Arts Programming for the Older Population published by Health Professionals Press in January 2007.
In September 2006, Dr. Levine Madori her first Fulbright Senior Specialist Scholarship and was invited to teach her new and innovative therapeutic approach in both New Zealand at Waikato University, Finland at The University of Applied Sciences, and in Australia at Victoria University from February to May, 2007. Additionally, she was the Keynote speaker for the New Zealand National Alzheimer’s Associations annual conference in 2007. Dr. Levine Madori has developed full day educational workshops on the TTAP Method for the International Diversion Therapy Association and the Australia Alzheimer’s Association in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne during her Fulbright travel in 2007.
In 2009, Dr. Levine Madori was awarded a second Fulbright Senior Specialist award through the Finnish government on behalf of 3 Universities including HAMK University, Hameenalinna, Seinajoki University, Seinajoki and University of Tampere, Tampere. She was asked to create a Certificate Training Course on the TTAP Method which is now available for educational credit throughout the United States. During her Fulbright, the Finnish government announced that the TTAP Method is going to be studied in a three years research which will focus on keeping individuals at home longer and keeping those in Skilled Nursing Facilities engaged in person centered approaches, which the TTAP method is based upon.
The TTAP Method has been utilized in 2 pilot studies, in the United States, the Spanish speaking population within a community center (Alders, 2009 in press) in which 25 individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease were given 12 week sessions of one hour. Statistical analysis showed positive and significant correlations to increased cognition in the quisi- experimental study. Dr. Levine Madori is one of the Principle Investigators through Cornell University Memory and Cognitive Screening Services, the statistical results are expected in September, 2009. She is always interested in forming alliances to study the effects of the creative arts through the TTAP method with institutions, individuals and professional groups.