Level One & Polyvagal Live Webinars
And Updates on Our Ghost Ranch Retreat
Live Webinar Series Begins on August 17, 2021; Replays Available 48 Hours After Webinar
Trauma’s impact often requires approaches that address the sensory-based experiences many survivors report. Expressive arts therapy—the purposeful application of art, music, dance/movement, dramatic enactment, creative writing and imaginative play is a largely non-verbal way of self-expression of feelings and perceptions. More importantly, they are action-oriented and tap implicit, embodied experiences of trauma that can defy expression through verbal therapy or logic.
In this foundation course you will learn through discussion, readings, films, resources, and hands-on, interactive experiences just how expressive arts therapy helps individuals of all ages "come to their senses" in order to repair and recover from traumatic experiences. This five-session live webinar focuses on one of the four functions of expressive arts therapy: how arts-based methods can help us to self-regulate, become aware of our bodies, reduce distress, and restore the self through expressive approaches to health and well-being.
Topics and expressive arts therapy experiences include:
- The MSSS Model for expressive arts-- movement, sound, storytelling, and silence--and how to integrate it in psychotherapy, counseling, education, and coaching.
- The seven principles of Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy as a trauma-sensitive practice.
- How the Expressive Therapies Continuum inform the use of expressive arts in psychotherapeutic and counseling practice.
- How to integrate arts-based, play-based, and imagination to support restoration of the self.
- BLS [Bilateral Stimulation] in the expressive arts as a form of self-regulation and co-regulation with traumatic stress.
- Expressive approaches to grounding and anchoring as key elements of trauma intervention.
- Integration of somatic practices with expressive arts therapy.
This course includes a Certificate of Completion for Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy Level One for 18 hours of Continuing Education/Professional Development
Course Meeting Dates [Tuesdays]:
August 17
August 24
August 31
September 7
September 14
All meetings are held from 4 pm--7 pm, Eastern Time/New York Time; since we have participants from around the world, please be sure to check your time zone.
Polyvagal-Focused and Sensorimotor Expressive Arts Therapy Begins on September 16 2021
REGISTRATION IS OPEN: This curriculum will be live by August 15th, 2021. This live webinar course is given in a "drip format"-- each week you will have access to a new set of materials as we proceed through the topic, session by session.
This course includes a Certificate of Completion for Polyvagal-Focused and Sensorimotor Expressive Arts Therapy for 18 hours of Continuing Education/Professional Development-- see information below. You can apply these hours to your completion of the EXAT or EXA-CE designations.
Webinars meet from 12 noon-3 pm Eastern US Time/New York Time
Course Meeting Dates:
September 16
September 23
September 30
October 7
October 14
Polyvagal theory is now informing the principles and practices of trauma-informed work. Stephen Porges is the researcher best known for identifying polyvagal theory; his studies and contributions have greatly expanded the understanding of how we sense and experience safety, self-regulation, attachment, and connection.
Sensorimotor, sensory integration and body-awareness approaches are also now accepted strategies to address traumatic stress. The majority of these sensory-based approaches are derived from healing practices found in various forms of reparative and restorative expression-- often through movement, rhythm, sound, music, image making, and enactment.
Most of the current polyvagal exercises and directives for trauma relief ask individuals to think about or imagine various vagal states or conditions for social engagement. While this may work well for some people, starting with cognition is not always the best place to start when restoring the self, post-trauma. Imagination, a mostly cognitive function, is not immediately or easily accessible for those most traumatized. In many cases, imagination and a sense of playfulness has been lost or diminished due to distress, anxiety, or dissociation.
Expressive arts therapy and expressive strategies [movement, rhythm, sound, music, enactment, and image=making] capitalize on a "bottom-up" framework that begins with the senses. These strategies gradually reintroduce the experiences of play, creativity, and aliveness necessary to reparative and restorative imagination. These sensory-based approaches also provide a foundation for the "talk" that may have been shutdown due to traumatic stress.
We designed this course to not only highlight these principles and practices, but also to demonstrate how expressive arts therapy and expressive methods expand and enhance polyvagal-focused and sensorimotor, sensory integration, and body-awareness approaches. To help participants learn and apply this material, each session includes didactic, informational presentations and at least one hour of experiential, hands-on time with methods and strategies. These action-oriented, sensory-based methods and strategies can be applied to work with individuals of all ages as well as families, groups, and communities.
November 2, 3, and 4, 2021, 9 am to 4 pm in the Beautiful Lower Pavillion
Full Refund if the Event is Cancelled
As with any of our live events, if the event is cancelled, you can receive a full refund or a credit plus a bonus amount to be applied to future offerings [live course or webinar or online courses].
We are committed to providing a safe and restorative experience in this course and hope you will enjoy the natural beauty of this spectacular area on the planet. We will have a limited number of participants so that there is ample space for social distancing. Weather in Northern Mexico is generally temperate at this time of year so we will have many opportunities to be outdoors and to have good ventilation in the large studio space.
In-person class registrations will be limited due to these guidelines. If seats are sold out, please continue to check back on our website as seats may open up as restrictions shift. We’ll make sure to alert our community list as these changes occur. Make sure to join our mailing list to receive up-to-date announcements regarding updates.
Vaccination Requirement:
To ensure the safest environment for all, we are implementing a vaccination requirement for all in-person participants and faculty. Proof of full vaccination must be provided at least two weeks before the start date of your course. Participants who have not provided proof of vaccination within two weeks in advance of their scheduled arrival cannot be admitted into the course.