In-Person Workshop

Date: April 18, 2026, 9:30-16:30
Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Vancouver, CANADA
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Cathy Malchiodi, PhD

Expressive Arts Therapy Toolkit for Trauma Informed Practice

Date: April 18, 2026. 9:30AM-4:30PM
Location: Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Dr. Cathy Malchiodi prepared a new and engaging workshop in Vancouver, based on new  research on sensory processing in trauma and the latest trauma-informed practices in the field. 

In this workshop for creative/expressive arts therapists and other clinicians working with trauma, Dr. Cathy Malchiodi will present Restorative Embodiment, a trauma-informed integrative approach designed to help clients rebuild safety through implicit, body-based experiences. Drawing from contemporary neuroscience and clinical research, the training highlights why vestibular, interoceptive, and proprioceptive sensing are increasingly recognized as key to orienting, regulating arousal, and restoring a felt sense of safety in new trauma-informed approaches. 
Dr. Malchiodi also introduces her Circle of Capacity framework, a practical way to understand and expand the window in which clients can stay present, connected, and creatively engaged without tipping into hyperarousal, collapse, or shutdown. 
Positioned at the intersection of sensory regulation and meaning-making, expressive arts therapies are uniquely suited to translate these findings into practice through movement, rhythm, imagery, play, creative engagement, and relational attunement. 
Dr. Malchiodi will guide participants through a balance of theory and experiential learning, offering practical, adaptable, and ethically grounded interventions based on decades of clinical experience and research that you can bring directly into therapy to support nervous system restoration, co-regulation, and resilience.

Learning objectives:

Participants will be able to:
1.   Define expressive/experiential methods and sensory processing as key concepts for addressing traumatic stress (hyperarousal and hypoarousal).
2.   Define embodiment, disembodiment, and restorative embodiment.
3.   Describe at least three differences between the Window of Tolerance and Circle of Capacity models.
4. Define exteroception and interoception as key concepts in restoring capacity in individuals with traumatic stress;
5. Identify and apply at least three evidence-informed expressive arts therapy approaches to establish safety;
6. Identify and apply at least three evidence-informed expressive arts therapy and sensory integration approaches to create resourcing experiences;

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  • Study time: 6 hours
  • In-person, in Vancouver
  • Certification included
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Location
Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Room 320
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
580 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
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Course program
9:00-9:30 AM EST   Registration

9:30 AM-12:30 PM   First Part of the workshop.
12:30-1:30 PM           Lunch Break
1:30 PM-4:30 PM     Second Part of the workshop.
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Certification included
Participants who complete this training receive:
- a Certificate of Completion from the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute and
- 6 continuous education hours for ATR-BCs.
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Questions about the training, location, Payment, ETC.
Please contact us at contact@artstherapies.org if you have any questions that are not responded here.
PRESENTER'S BIO
Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT holds a doctorate in psychology and is an expressive arts therapist specializing in the treatment of traumatic stress.

Dr. Malchiodi has extensive experience in the areas of trauma, attachment, disaster relief, and adversity. She is recognized as one of the leaders in trauma-informed care and has assisted more than 500 agencies, organizations, and institutions in developing trauma-informed, expressive and responsive programming including the World Health Organization, United Nations, US Department of Defense, Kennedy Center, Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, and numerous universities, mental health, community, and healthcare agencies in the US and throughout the world.

For the last three decades Cathy has worked with traumatized children, adolescents, adults, and families, expanding the range of understanding of non-verbal, sensory-based concepts and methods. She is the executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute [see www.trauma-informedpractice.com] that has provided online and live training in expressive and somatosensory approaches to over 25,000 practitioners around the world [see www.cathymalchiodi.com].

Cathy is currently part of a grant with the US Department of Education, integrating expressive arts therapy into classrooms. 

A popular presenter and workshop leader, she given over 800 invited keynotes and workshops throughout the US, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. She has authored 20 books, including the bestselling Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process, Handbook of Expressive Arts Therapy, and Understanding Children’s Drawings. Her publications have been translated in over 20 languages.

Widely interviewed by a variety of news outlets, she has been featured Time Magazine, CNN, Slate, Cosmopolitan, NAMI, EMDRIA Magazine, Natural Living, Marie Clare, Australia Childhood Foundation, US News and World Report, and VICE, among others. She is a contributing writer for Psychology Today and has a readership of approximately 6 million on topics relevant to trauma recovery and restoration of the self, arts in healthcare and mental health, and self-care.

This price will be available until April 5, 2026, at 11.59PM EST.
Students will benefit of 60$ off the price displayed. Please send us the proof of your academic enrollment to receive this discount. Please note that we cannot give you the discount retroactively.

There is no refund after April 5, 2026.

This training will not be recorded. It will be available only live, in person. Full Access members who would like to register for the course, please write to us to secure your place. 

A word from
the organizer

Carmen Oprea,
MA, MFA, ATR-BC, RCAT, ATPQ
art therapist

Since I first heard about Cathy's work, during my master's degree, I wanted to participate in her trainings. Today, my dream came true, and Cathy will come to Montreal for the second consecutive year. Cathy's work is a true inspiration, and she is always presenting new insights into trauma work. Her trainings are always surprising, fun, but deep work, so useful for all of us working with trauma. I am honored to have her join us for this new transformative experience. She has dedicated her life's work to exploring the use of expressive arts therapy in trauma work, and has helped countless professionals to be well-equipped when working with their clients, through her teachings and techniques.

I know how deeply committed you are to providing the best therapy for your clients, and how important it is for you to have access to the best training and resources available. That's why I am so excited that we could have this unique opportunity to learn from one of the most renowned experts in the field of expressive arts therapy.

This training is not just about learning the latest research and techniques, it is also about creating a space where you can connect with others who share your passion and commitment. You will have the opportunity to participate in many experiential exercises designed to deepen your understanding and skills, and leave with a renewed sense of inspiration and purpose.
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