Art Practice as Somatic Therapy for Complex PTSD

Over a month ago, I sent out a query seeking experts to discuss what I was learning through my own healing journey-- why somatic practices like making art and music get to the root of healing trauma in ways that traditional talk therapy cannot reach.

I am joined by Adrienne Figueiredo and Dr. Judith Swack to discuss the relationship between trauma and the body through the mind and soul. Together, we open and explore questions about where this applied knowledge can take us as a culture, bridging Eastern and Western healing practices, from healing mass trauma to instructing preventative care within families.

Part 1

Guest Bios:

Adrienne Figueiredo, MA, LCAT, ATR is a psychotherapist whose work is deeply rooted in art therapy. After 15 years working on adult inpatient psychiatric units and in private practice, she founded Brooklyn North Creative Arts Therapy, a group practice that offers art therapy and EMDR to creative professionals, women, and those in the LGBTQIA+ community who are navigating anxiety, trauma, and other mental health needs. Her first career was as an artist, and she combines that personal knowledge with her passion for serving those in need to her work.

Judith A. Swack, Ph.D., biochemist/immunologist, Master NLP practitioner, mind/body healer, best-selling author, and leader in the field of Energy Psychology. Dr. Swack is the originator of Healing from the Body Level Up ® (HBLU ® ), an innovative and powerful methodology with transformative results. HBLU TM integrates biomedical science, psychology, hypnosis, NLP, applied kinesiology, Energy Psychology, and spiritual techniques with original research on the structure of complex damage patterns. She has presented her dramatic results on national television and at international conferences and has published in scientific, professional, and popular books and journals. Dr. Swack is a recipient of the 2015 Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) award for major contribution to the field of Energy Psychology and authored the chapter "Healing from the Body Level Up" in the industry-defining publication, Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy: A Comprehensive Source Book. Her latest book is CLEAR TRAUMA NOW: A Powerful Solution for Getting Unstuck.