Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy
Learn More About the Institute
Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy and Trauma-Informed Art Therapy are approaches developed by Dr. Cathy Malchiodi that integrate trauma-informed practices, "brain-wise" arts-based interventions and embodied awareness concepts to support trauma reparation and recovery. We believe expressive arts therapy [the integrative use of art, music/sound, dance/movement, enactment/improvisation, storytelling/narrative, play, and imagination] is a key psychotherapeutic strategy when addressing traumatic stress. The Institute is dedicated to professional education and distance learning on these practices that focus on the expressive arts as a form of body-based psychotherapy.
The Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute is dedicated to providing professional education that promotes greater understanding of expressive arts therapy and trauma-informed practices. The Institute offers live trainings, courses and workshops and distance learning courses for mental health professionals and master's and doctoral students; these learning opportunities are also open to arts-based facilitators and practitioners. Courses emphasize approaches that are based on best practices, integrative methods and current research in expressive arts and trauma-informed care, and complement mind-body, somatic, sensory integration and neurobiology-informed methods of trauma intervention. We believe that expressive arts therapy [the integrated use of multiple arts forms] in particular is essential to many individuals' trauma reparation and is an important part of that process. The Institute supports a vision for advanced understanding and education in these methods and promotes the value of these approaches in trauma-informed care, psychotherapy and wellness.
About Our Live and Online Courses
The courses we offer are for continuing education, professional development and enrichment purposes only in creative, action-oriented and sensory-based trauma-informed practice, counseling, and psychotherapeutic approaches with children, adolescents, adults, families and groups with an emphasis on Expressive Arts Therapy, the integrated application of the arts for health and well-being.
If you are interested in obtaining a credential in art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, drama therapy or play therapy, please consult with the various credentials boards or organizations in your country, state, province or locality to determine what specific education is required to become a competent practitioner by law in your chosen field of practice. Depending on your location/country, these credentials require a master's degree from a university or other form of higher education. Additionally, some states regulate the scope and practice of art therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy and other creative arts therapies in the US; please review your state's regulations for more information about scope of practice and required credentials to practice in these fields.