Music Therapy, Psychotherapy, Counseling Niagara, Canada

Hello and welcome to my website! I am Aksana Kavaliova-Moussi, a certified music therapist and counsellor working in the Niagara region in Ontario. I am also a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Please follow me Instagram for current updates, videos, information about my work https://www.instagram.com/aksana_musictherapy/

I was born in Belarus to a family of musicians. My mother is a retired piano teacher, my father was a director of various cultural centers, and my brother is a professional composer and sound director in Belarus. At the very early age of three I started singing solo and performing with my family in local and national televised events. 

I completed my Bachelor/teaching degree in music theory and history from the Vitebsk State College of Music, a Bachelor of Arts in cultural studies from the Belarusian  State University of Culture and Arts, Bachelor of Music Therapy from University of Windsor (Canada), a Master of Music in Music Therapy from the Colorado State University (USA).

During my academic years in Windsor, I provided music therapy for children with special needs and expectant teen mothers, was a member of the "Music Therapy and a Symphony" research project, working with the oncology patients, worked with the paediatric patients at the Windsor Regional Hospital, patients at the Hospice of Windsor-Essex County and the "In-House Hospice Solutions" in Southfield, Michigan. 

In 2008, I became a first certified music therapy in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where I worked with several private schools and centers (including the Children's Academy) and numerous individuals with Autism, Down syndrome, intellectual and developmental disabilities, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and other conditions.

In 2018-2019, I completed my graduate practicum at the renowned Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing (ATTCH) in St. Catharines, ON, and graduated with the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology degree. I continued working with individuals with special needs, and provided group music therapy at the long term care homes in the Niagara region. I was also working with the adults and children who survived psychological trauma and abuse. 

I spent another year in Bahrain (till August 2020), where, in addition to my private practice, I volunteered at the Salmanyia Psychiatric Hospital and Muharraq elderly home, as a part of the community service group of the American Women Association. Since March 2020, I have been working online with clients in various countries. 

Now, back in the Niagara region, I work as a therapist at the Family Counseling Centre (FCC), contract with the Attachment and Trauma Treatment Center for Healing (ATTCH), as a music therapist I contract with the Hospice Niagara and have my small private practice in Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

In addition to my clinical work, I am very passionate about serving in different professional roles, such as: World Federation of Music Therapy (Secretary since July 2020, Education and Training Committee member 2017-2020, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Liaison, 2011-2017); Online Conference for Music Therapy (co-chair and one of the founding board members); Music Therapy Association of Ontario (vice-president since February 2019); "Music and Medicine" journal and the International Association for Music and Medicine (a member of the editorial board and a conference committee);

Affiliations: 

R. Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy- member since October 2012.

Music Therapy Association of Ontario- professional member since 2017.

Canadian Association for Music Therapy- professional member, since 2005.

American Music Therapy Association- professional member, since 2006.

 

Accreditations and Certificates: 

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)- since August 2019.

Certified Trauma Integration Clinician- since April 2019.

Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM)®, basic training- January 2019.

Neurologic Music Therapist, Fellow- since October 2016.

"First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath and Lullaby, International Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Training"- July 2016.

Music Therapist Accredited (MTA)- February 2009. 

 

Presentations and workshops:

"BASICS OF NEUROLOGIC MUSIC THERAPY (Russian)-webinars, June 2020, available on https://psy.education/osnovy-nevrologicheskoj-muzykalnoj-terapii-nmt-distantsionnaya-programma/

"MUSIC THERAPY SESSIONS ONLINE (Russian)"-online course, April 2020, available on https://psy.education/tehniki-vedeniya-muzterapevticheskih-sessij-onlajn/

"MUSIC THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH"- American Women Association, March 9, 2020.

"STRESS, MINDFULNESS, AND WELLBEING"-Rotary Club of Salmanyia, February 5, 2020.

"MUSIC THERAPY IN SCHOOLS"- workshops, Beacon Private School, Kingdom of Bahrain, October 2019. 

"MUSIC-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN TRAUMA WORK"-full day workshop, Ontario Association for Social Workers, Huronia Highlands chapter, Barrie (ON), June 17, 2019.

"MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR MUSIC THERAPISTS: WORKING WITH THE ARAB/MIDDLE EASTERN POPULATION"- CAMT annual conference, Gatineau (QC) May 24, 2019.

"ONLINE CONFERENCE FOR MUSIC THERAPY: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND ONLINE EDUCATION"- Canadian Association for Music Therapists annual conference, Gatineau (QC) May 24, 2019.

"MUSIC THERAPY FOR DEMENTIA"- Alzheimer's Society Niagara chapter, St. Catharines, CANADA, May 10, 2019.

"MUSIC THERAPY IN PALLIATIVE CARE"- Niagara-on-the-Lake community palliative care service, CANADA, April 22, 2019.

"INTRODUCING MUSIC THERAPY"- RWTA-Retired Women Teachers Association meeting, Niagara Falls (ON), CANADA, April 8, 2019.

"MUSIC-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN TRAUMA WORK"- half-day workshop, Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing annual conference, St. Catharines (ON), CANADA, April 1, 2019.

"MUSIC AND WELLNESS"- workshop at the Mental Health Fair, Jean-Vanier high school, Welland (ON), March 28, 2019.

"ONLINE CONFERENCE FOR MUSIC THERAPY: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND ONLINE EDUCATION"- poster presentation, Music Therapy Association of Ontario annual conference, Hamilton, ON, CANADA, February 23, 2019.

"MUSIC THERAPY TRAINING AROUND THE WORLD: NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS"-II International Congress on Mental Health, Music Therapy Symposium, Moscow, RUSSIA, October 7, 2018.

"MUSIC THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH ASD (AUTISM SPECTRUM)"- II International Congress on Mental Health, Conference on Autism, Moscow, RUSSIA, October 6, 2018.

"REPERTOIRE OF A MUSIC THERAPIST: WHAT, WHEN, AND WHY"- online presentation, 2nd Russian conference on music therapy for children with autism and other special needs, Moscow, RUSSIA, September 28, 2018.

"MUSIC IN EDUCATION"- Bahrain Polytechnics, semiannual symposium, Manama, BAHRAIN, April 26, 2018.

"NEUROLOGIC MUSIC THERAPY AND AUTISM"- First Russian International Conference on music therapy for children with autism and other special needs, Moscow, RUSSIA, September 30, 2017. 

"ONLINE CONFERENCE FOR MUSIC THERAPY: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND ONLINE EDUCATION"- World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, JAPAN, July 7, 2017. 

" WFMT-NETWORKING THROUGH THE BEAT OF A DRUM"-Round table, World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, JAPAN, July 6, 2017.

"GLOBAL EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE FOR MUSIC THERAPISTS PART II: PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND COMPETENCIES"- Round Table, World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, JAPAN, July 5, 2017.

"THE ONLINE CONFERENCE FOR MUSIC THERAPY: SUPPORTING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND EDUCATION" - 10th European Music Therapy Conference, Vienna, AUSTRIA, July 7, 2016.

"HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF MUSIC THERAPY 2014-2017 COUNCIL"- Round table, 10th European Music Therapy Conference, Vienna, AUSTRIA, July 7, 2016.

"MUSIC THERAPY AND AUTISM"- Online presentation, 2nd Russian Conference on Therapeutic Uses of Music "Muzterapevt.ru", Moscow, RUSSIA, May 21, 2016.

"MUSIC THERAPY FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER"- 4th International Conference "Untangle Autism", BAHRAIN, April 4, 2016. 

"WORLD FEDERATION OF MUSIC THERAPY: DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSION IN EIGHT REGIONS"- Online presentation, 1st Russian Conference on  Therapeutic Uses of Music, Moscow, RUSSIA, May 29-31, 2015.

"INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC THERAPY"- presentations-workshops for parents at Talk Play Grow, Juffair, BAHRAIN, May 2015; for specialists working with children with disabilities, at Affinity Consultancy, Saar, BAHRAIN, October 2014.

"ENVISIONING A GLOBAL EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE FOR MUSIC THERAPISTS: TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS, CLINICAL PRACTICE"- Round table, World Congress on Music Therapy, Krems, AUSTRIA, July 2014.

"WFMT- STATE OF THE ORGANIZATION"- Round table with WFMT council members, World Congress on Music Therapy, Krems, AUSTRIA, July 2014 

"MUSIC THERAPY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES"- OCMT- Online Conference for Music Therapy, March 2011.

"BURNOUT: HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND PREVENT IT"- University of Windsor Music Therapy Students Alliance annual conference, Windsor, ON, March 2008.

Honours and Awards: 

Finalist, category "Outstanding Music Teacher/Therapist", Princess Haya Award for Special Education, UAE, March 2012.

Excellence in Clinical Practice, University of Windsor, Ontario, March 2007.

President's List, Dean's list,  University of Windsor, Ontario, 2005-2008

Golden Key International Honour Society

(http://www.goldenkey.org/GKIHS) -2005