PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINARS

Our 7 pre-conference seminars have been selected to address important topics, populations, clinical issues, and methods in music therapy practice. In full- or half-day sessions, participants will have the opportunity to receive advanced and specialized training from internationally-known experts and teams. The pre-conference offerings for this congress are particularly rich, timely, and relevant to music therapists who work in a wide range of settings.

Additionally, the 8th pre-conference features the International Music Therapy Students’ Meeting, a unique and free opportunity for emerging professionals to connect, share experiences, and meet fellow students from around the world in person.

Learn more about our pre-conference seminars:

  1. Mindful borders in Music Therapy: a trauma-sensitive approach
  2. Introduction to Austin Vocal Psychotherapy
  3. Music Therapy Assessment: Connecting borders of practice, research and implementation
  4. Connecting Practice and Research in Music Therapy for Depression: Methods, Models, and Shared Experience
  5. Music as therapy in neonatal care and beyond
  6. Music Therapy in humanitarian contexts: practices, ethics, and operational methodologies
  7. Perspectives on trauma in Music Therapy: many stories, multiple pathways
  8. International Music Therapy students’ meeting

REGISTRATION

Register now

Are you interested in taking part in one of our pre-conference seminars?

Feel free to consult the dedicated section to get information about fees and cancellation policies.

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Half day | 10:00-13:00

SEMINAR 1

Mindful borders in Music Therapy: a trauma-sensitive approach

Coordinator: Özgür Salur

This pre-conference seminar has been cancelled. Enrolled participants will be alerted via email. Please address any further enquiry to registrations.wcmt2026@planning.it.

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Half day | 14:00-17:00

SEMINAR 2

Introduction to Austin Vocal Psychotherapy

Min no. of participants: 6
Max no. of participants: 40

COORDINATOR

Diane Austin
Music Psychotherapy Center, USA

SPEAKER

Jenny Hoi Yan Fu
Music Psychotherapy Center, Hong Kong, China

SPEAKER

Allison Reynolds
Music Psychotherapy Center, USA

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Full day | 10:00-17:00

SEMINAR 3

Music Therapy Assessment: connecting borders of practice, research and implementation

Min no. of participants: none
Max no. of participants: none

COORDINATOR

Thomas Wosch
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Germany

SPEAKER

Stine Lindahl Jacobsen
Aalborg University, Denmark

SPEAKER

Eric G. Waldon
University of the Pacific, USA

SPEAKER

Thomas Bergmann
University of the Arts Berlin, Germany

SPEAKER

Gustavo Gattino
Aalborg University, Denmark

SPEAKER

Wendy L. Magee
Temple University Philadelphia, USA

SPEAKER

Jonathan Pool
Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, UK

SPEAKER

Esa Ala-Ruona
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

SPEAKER

Bastian Vobig
Nuremberg University of Music, Germany

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Full day | 10:00-17:00

SEMINAR 4

Connecting practice and research in Music Therapy for Depression: methods, models, and shared experience

Min no. of participants: none
Max no. of participants: none

COORDINATOR

Sonja Aalbers
Guest Researcher, University Center Psychiatry (UCP), University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), The Netherlands

SPEAKER

Christine Gaebel
Research Associate, University Medical Center Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany

SPEAKER

Josephine Geipel
Professor of Music Therapy, Leopold Mozart College of Music, University of Augsburg, Germany

SPEAKER

Suvi Saarikallio
Professor of Music Education, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

SPEAKER

Esa Ala-Ruona
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

SPEAKER

Jaakko Erkkilä
Professor of Music Therapy, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

SPEAKER

Laura Fusar-Poli
Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pavia and Consultant Psychiatrist at Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Full day | 10:00-17:00

SEMINAR 5

Music as therapy in neonatal care and beyond

Min no. of participants: 6
Max no. of participants: 20

COORDINATOR

Friederike B. Haslbeck
University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Half day | 10:00-13:00

SEMINAR 6

Music Therapy in humanitarian contexts: practices, ethics, and operational methodologies

Min no. of participants: 10
Max no. of participants: 25

COORDINATOR

Luca Scavone
A. Scarlatti Conservatory of Music, Palermo, Italy

SPEAKER

Marco Lolli
Prima Materia APS, Montespertoli (FI), Italy

SPEAKER

Alberto Balducci
Conservatory of Music “B. Maderna – G. Lettimi”, Cesena–Rimini, Italy

SPEAKER

Indra Selvarajah
LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, Malaysia

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Full day | 10:00-17:00

SEMINAR 7

Perspectives on trauma in Music Therapy: many stories, multiple pathways

Min no. of participants: 8
Max no. of participants: none

COORDINATOR

Jennifer Sokira
Connecticut Music Therapy Services & Southern Connecticut State University, USA

SPEAKER

Natalia Alvarez-Figueroa
Resilient Rhythms Music Therapy, USA

SPEAKER

Ezequiel Bautista
RGV Music Therapy & Wellness, USA

SPEAKER

Jenny Hoi Yan Fu
New York University & New York Creative Therapists, USA

SPEAKER

Heather Wagner
Southern Connecticut State University, USA

TUESDAY

JULY 7

Half day | 14:00-17:00

SEMINAR 8

International Music Therapy students’ meeting

Min no. of participants: none
Max no. of participants: none

COORDINATOR

Hannah Estrella
Canada & The USA Representative, WFMT Assembly of Student Delegates

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