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It has been a year since the last update. Music therapy in the region sees some changes. There is more public awareness of our profession in Bahrain. I presented several times for parents and specialists working with children with special needs, and the next workshop will take place in October. Music therapy groups are now being offered in one more center, which caters to children with speech and language delays. More parents and professionals are aware of the benefits of music therapy for their children. I collaborate with a private psychometrist and speech therapists, and we have established a good referral system among us.Two music therapists (from Dubai and Qatar) left GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) for the United States. We wish them all the best in their new endeavors. There is a new American music therapist, who recently came to Doha, Qatar to work at the Sidra Medical and Research Center. A graduate of the National Conservatory of Music (Jordan) got accepted at New York University and just left to pursue a Master’s degree (Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy). Some good news is coming from Tunis in North Africa, where French-trained local music therapists are gradually establishing their practice.Although there are no local music therapy conferences, we are representing our region and the WFMT around the world. For instance, there was an online opening presentation at the first Russian Conference on the Therapeutic Use of Music in Moscow in May. There is also the Online Conference for Music Therapy, which happens every February. The regional audio contribution was included in the presentation at the MAR (Mid-Atlantic Region) regional conference in the USA this spring. A documentary, The Brain That Sings, featuring the Dubai-based music therapist, and a former WFMT Regional Liaison, M. Tennant, is now available for viewing online.Aksana Kavaliova, BahrainWFMT Regional Liaison, Eastern Mediterranean
