Trauma-informed
- We deliver onsite, outreach and online.
Trauma-informed Creative Arts Therapy
Trauma-informed creative arts therapy is a specific type of creative arts therapy that focuses on supporting people who have experienced trauma. Research has shown that creative arts therapy can be effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression post trauma. It acknowledges the effects of past experiences on a person's social and emotional wellbeing and supports healing by addressing the following key areas:
- Developmental and biological impacts of trauma. Creative arts therapeutic processes work to address the mind-body experiences of trauma. Creative arts therapists apply creative arts interventions to integrate mind-body experiences to support self- regulation, positive connections, and build resilience.
- Creative arts therapy supports self-regulation and co-regulation. Creative arts processes are used to support a persons’ own internal resources, and support creative, action-oriented approaches to self-regulation and co-regulation when applied within groups.
- Creative arts therapy is used to improve the body’s experience of distress. Creative arts therapies are an “embodied” experience, supporting the identification and repairing the body’s responses to trauma by using creative arts to support a persons’ body as a resource and normalising the body’s reactions to trauma as adaptive coping rather than pathology.
- Creative arts therapy supports a sense of safety, positive connection, and therapeutic relationship. Creative arts processes support in recovering a sense of well-being internally and in relationships with others. It provides opportunities to engage in creative experimentation that integrates experiences of unconditional appreciation, guidance, and support in a safe space.
- Creative arts therapy supports strengths, builds capacity and enhances resilience. Creative arts therapy sees everyone as capable of growth and recovery. Creative arts interventions are life-affirming, meet people where they are at and acknowledge their capacity for resilience and personal strength by encouraging mastery through creative experimentation.
- Creative arts therapy responds to a person’s preferences for self-expression. Creative arts therapy centres the person in their own treatment and preferences for participation. These preferences are determined by culture, previous experiences, world views, values, and other dynamics. They offer various ways to express themselves according to their comfort level and respect their use of personal metaphors and symbols, allowing personal control of how they communicate sensitive experiences.
- Creative arts therapy provides meaning-making experiences and ways to imagine new narratives post-trauma. Creative arts therapy supports a person to express what is often unspeakable. They also allow people to explore, restructure, reframe, and re-story trauma and loss through nonverbal, participatory and self-empowering ways.
(Malchiodi, C. A. (2020). Trauma and expressive arts therapy: Brain, body, and imagination in the healing process. New York: Guilford Publications.)
CATA’s Registered creative arts therapists use a holistic understanding of trauma, cultural awareness and evidence-based processes in their work to create a safe and supportive space where people can heal, grow, and reclaim their sense of agency and resilience.
Are you or someone you know recovering from experiences of trauma? Curious to know more about creative arts therapy could support you in your healing journey? Please complete our referral form and someone from our intake and assessment team will be in contact to discuss further with you.