Healing Trauma With Expressive Arts Therapy/Practical Applications

Abstract Harambee Arts has worked with women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, incarceration, human trafficking, poverty or special needs to gently heal and understand their own trauma through Expressive Arts Therapy. The... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract

Harambee Arts has worked with women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, incarceration, human trafficking, poverty or special needs to gently heal and understand their own trauma through Expressive Arts Therapy. The techniques employed; art, movement and drama, are uniquely successful because they regulate the nervous system that becomes overwhelmed in response and reaction to trauma.

Objectives

This workshop will focus on using the collective and indigenous wisdom of local communities to support recovery from trauma. Sharing theories and practice from her 35 years of experience, the author will demonstrate how to organize and facilitate psychosocial trainings and leave behind a team to continue the work needed to support recovery in traumatized communities.

Methods

An overview of the training methods includes a culturally sensitive, collaborative and relational approach to working with different societies around the world such as; partnering with and building capacity within community based organizations, assessing the needs and level of expertise of local participants, organizing training as a collective process of shared wisdom and introducing specific techniques developed to support communities in crisis. This workshop includes an experiential drawing exercise that is used with traumatized populations to begin a dialogue toward healing and recovery.

Results

Harambee Arts has led trainings for adults in more than 20 countries and has provided direct services to more than 1800 children in Kenya and hundreds of young girls in Nepal who have survived or are at risk of trafficking.

Harambee Arts collects data and monitors changes in children’s behaviors including group participation, improvements in focus, development of empathy, leadership skills and an ability to connect with others.

Conclusions

Participants will have a glimpse into work done with traumatized children globally, an insight into how to approach training of community stakeholders, as well as an understanding of the power of non-verbal interventions.