Dr Daphne Rickson, ONZM, is a Registered Music Therapist (RMTh) and Adjunct Professor in the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) at Victoria University of Wellington. She has practiced music therapy with a range of client populations but particularly with children and adolescents in schools.

She served MThNZ as Council member, Chair, and President, and is now President Emeritus and life member. Daphne is author of ‘Music therapy with autistic children in Aotearoa New Zealand (Haumanu ā-puoro mā ngā Tamariki Takiwātanga)’ (Rickson, 2022); co-author of ‘Creating Music Cultures in the Schools: A perspective from community music therapy’ (Rickson & McFerran, 2014); and author or co-author of over 40 journal articles. She has served on the editorial boards of music therapy journals ‘NZJMT’, ‘Approaches’ and ‘Voices’. Daphne was named as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to music therapy, in the Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022.

She has recently retired from her full-time tenured position lecturing and researching in music therapy after 15 years of clinical practice, and 17 years in academia, but is continuing voluntary work e.g., as the current the Australasian Regional Liaison for the World Federation of Music Therapy Council.