Day 2

Creative Approaches for Trauma

February 5, 2023
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Instinctual Trauma Response®: A Revolutionary Approach to Trauma Therapy

Linda Gantt

Dr. Linda Gantt has had a distinguished 45-year career in art therapy.  She is well known among art therapists having served as President of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), editor of the first issue of the association’s journal, and chair of the National Coalition of Art Therapies Associations.  She has been awarded the Honorary Life Member citation, which is the highest accolade in art therapy. Dr. Gantt has a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from The George Washington University and a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Gantt has taught in a number of graduate art therapy programs including the George Washington University, Vermont College, Notre Dame de Namur, and Florida State University.
Her Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS), developed with Carmello Tabone, is used nationally and internationally and is helping revolutionize the assessment of psychological conditions. A paradigm shift toward utilizing art therapy in the mental health field is occurring and FEATS is instrumental in that process.
On top of this, Dr. Gantt developed the revolutionary Instinctual Trauma Response® (ITR) together with her late husband, psychiatrist Dr. Louis Tinnin. ITR is a structured trauma therapy approach based on brain science, art therapy and parts therapy. It “finishes” trauma stories that are fragmented memories without words. Years of practice-based evidence has shown ITR greatly reduces or completely eliminates trauma symptoms long-term.
Presenter's site: www.itrtraining.com
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The Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Art Therapy

Karin Alice Schouten, Suzanne Haeyen,
and Jackie Heijman

Karin Alice Schouten, MA, is visual artist, registered art therapist and researcher.
She works as art therapist at ARQ Centrum ’45, the national expertise center for diagnostics and treatment of patients with complex psychotrauma, and at Medical Centre Nijverheidswerf,  outpatient treatment of psychological and physical disorders.
As Art Therapist she is specialized in  psychotrauma and stressor-related disorders and (traumatic) grief and loss.
She is researcher Art Therapy and PTSD at KenVak (national cooperative research group for knowledge development of arts therapies).  The aim of the research is to increase knowledge and empirical evidence of characteristics, efficacy and effectiveness of art therapy in the treatment of adult traumatized patients.
She regularly publishes and presents nationally and internationally.

Dr. Suzanne Haeyen is professor of the research group `Arts & Psychomotor Therapies in Personality Disorders’ at HAN University of Applied Sciences. She is coordinator of content of the Master programme.  
She also works as an art therapist and researcher at `Scelta, Expert Centre for Personality Problems’ and chair of the arts and psychomotor therapies, at mental health institution `GGNet, Centre for Mental Health’. She is also member of KenVaK, national cooperative research group for knowledge development of arts therapies.  
She has several publications about arts therapies in personality disorders and contributed to both the national multidisciplinary guidelines and standard of care for the treatment of personality disorders.

Jackie Heijman is an art therapist and junior researcher at the Arts Therapies for Personality Disorders Research Group. She is also studying for her masters in psychology. Jackie’s main focus at the moment is the current research on Trauma Focused Art Therapy, in which she is responsible for the coordination.
Presenter's publications are here.


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New Art Therapy Trauma Protocol Trailed in Botswana and the UK

Emma Mills

Emma Mills is an Art Psychotherapist and artist who has worked with men, women and children who have experienced trauma since 2005. Before retraining as an art psychotherapist Emma was an art teacher who spent 10 years working in a government school in Botswana, Africa. She returns to Botswana every few years to run art and drama therapeutic skills workshops training social works and teachers for an NGO who work with vulnerable children and young people.
She was responsible for the writing and delivery of the Children’s Module for the Understanding Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse MA for Goldsmiths College, University of London for 7 years. Emma worked in a large Women’s Domestic violence refuge for 16 years but now runs a community mental health project for an Arts Charity and local government authority and works as a private art therapist practitioner.
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Trauma-Informed Art Therapy in Vietnamese Cultural Context

Linh Nguyen

Nguyen Huong Linh (She/Her) received the prestigious Fulbright scholarship in 2017 and graduated from the Master's program in Art Therapy at School of Visual Arts (New York, USA) in May 2020.
At SVA, she received specialized training in trauma and completed 960 hours of internship under supervision in Art Therapy. After graduation, she took further intensive courses on trauma treatment, trauma-informed expressive arts therapy, trauma sensitive mindfulness, mindful self-compassion, affirmative counseling for LGBTIQ+ clients and recently, somatic experiencing and IFS.
Linh currently resides in Hoi An and meets clients in both Hoi An and online platforms. She has collaborated with renowned NGOs in Vietnam, such as HAGAR, CARE International, World Vision Vietnam, to raise awareness on mental health and provide art therapy services to underprivileged communities.
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Trauma Work - A Window into the Inner World

Bee Tin Teoh

Bee Tin Teoh is a registered art therapist with ANZACATA and member of the European Federation of Art Therapy, registered counsellor as well as licensed practitioner in Malaysia. Founder of Art Therapy Academy in Malaysia, standing for 12 years and providing services to children, adolescents and adults who may be experiencing emotional, behavioural and spiritual distress in their lives. Trauma is the underlying contributor to much unspoken pain, loss and grief. As an international traveller, enthusiastic practitioner and researcher, living and teaching between East and West; she is amazed by how perceptions in one's mind are being built, which influences a person's life, and art speaks it all. She is a devoted reflective practitioner committed to the community's wellbeing. Awareness and reflective practices are at the core of what she promotes and cultivates in her professional and personal life.
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Developing Cultural Sensitivity When Working With Racial Trauma

Olatunde Spence

Olatunde Spence is a mother of two beautiful teenagers, an art psychotherapist and community activist.  She has a lifelong commitment to tackling racism, oppression and inequality. She is currently working to raise issues about autism and the lack of recognition and support for autistic Black young people in education.
She is a trauma-informed Art Psychotherapist and EMDR therapist,  trained to use Children’s Accelerated Trauma Treatment for PTSD and C-PTSD (CATT). She is working currently in private practice with adults and youth. Olatunde has solid experience in working with autistic children and adults and with Black and Asian groups and individuals, providing culturally sensitive therapy. She is specialised in working with the impact of traumatic events and with people impacted by childhood trauma.
She is currently working with the National Autistic Society to deliver Mandatory Autism Awareness Training to In Patient Mental Health Units.
Her aim is to support people to overcome traumatic events, reduce symptoms and find more balance in their life.
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