Trauma & Art Therapy

Trauma does not vanish with time. It settles into the body, alters sleep, reshapes appetite, interrupts attention, and colors the way you see yourself and the people around you. Neurobiological research shows that traumatic experiences are stored not only as narrative memory but also in sensory, emotional, and somatic systems, which is why trauma often persists even when someone cognitively understands what happened (van der Kolk, 2014).

 

Words alone can sometimes feel too big or too small, unable to carry the full weight of what happened. Research on trauma and memory supports this, noting that traumatic material is frequently encoded in nonverbal form, making purely verbal therapies feel insufficient or overwhelming for some survivors (Malchiodi, 2020). That is why this space combines trauma-informed counseling with art therapy. Together, they create a gentler language, one that does not demand explanation before you are ready, but instead invites safety, choice, and expression at your own rhythm. Creative arts therapies have been shown to support trauma processing by offering symbolic and sensory pathways that bypass the limitations of verbal expression (Schouten et al., 2015).

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Safety First

You are not asked to dive headfirst into pain. Healing unfolds at the pace your nervous system can hold. Trauma-informed approaches emphasize regulation, choice, and pacing as central to effective treatment, particularly for individuals with complex or developmental trauma histories (Herman, 2015). In our work, you decide what to share and when.

 

Art offers a container, a bit of distance, so that what feels unbearable can be placed outside of you and held safely in image, color, or shape. Art therapy literature consistently describes this externalization process as a way to reduce emotional overwhelm while maintaining connection to difficult material (Malchiodi, 2012). The process is less about exposure and more about creating anchors of steadiness as we move carefully into the territory of memory and meaning, aligning with research that cautions against premature or uncontained exposure in trauma treatment (van der Kolk, 2014).

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How It Helps

Art bypasses the limits of language. When experiences feel unspeakable, images allow them to take form without overwhelming you. Studies on creative arts therapies suggest that visual expression engages brain regions involved in emotion regulation and integration, supporting why art-making can feel safer and more tolerable than direct verbal processing alone (Hass-Cohen & Carr, 2008; King et al., 2019). A brushstroke or a line of clay can carry emotion more gently than words alone. Alongside art-making, we use grounding practices, reframing, and mindful awareness to build stability and widen your sense of choice.

 

These approaches are supported by trauma research showing that regulation skills and present-moment awareness are essential for restoring a sense of agency and safety (Ogden et al., 2006). Over time, these practices return a sense of agency and connection, pieces of yourself that trauma may have fractured. Meta-analytic reviews of creative arts therapies indicate improvements in emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and trauma-related symptoms across diverse populations (Haeyen et al., 2018; Schouten et al., 2015).

For Survivors

Whether your history holds complex trauma, wounds that shaped your earliest relationships, or a recent event that has shaken your foundation, you do not need to carry it by yourself. Research consistently shows that relational safety and therapeutic attunement are key predictors of trauma recovery, regardless of modality (Herman, 2015).

 

Therapy with me is not about forcing closure or erasing the past. It is about finding ways to live with what happened while building trust in your body, your voice, and your ability to move forward. Art therapy research with trauma survivors emphasizes meaning-making, integration, and self-compassion over symptom eradication alone (Malchiodi, 2020). Healing is not a straight path, but it is one you do not have to walk alone.