Activist and author Sophie Olson and addiction specialist, psychotherapist and poet Jacky Power offer this transformative workshop that explores how creative expression becomes a bridge when direct speech feels impossible.
Sophie and Jacky, both survivors who found refuge in writing will share their journey of using metaphor as a protective language, challenging the common therapeutic misconception of “regressing to childhood” and reframing it as a natural response to overwhelming experiences.
Through their lived experience of sexual abuse, the facilitators illuminate how invalidation compounds trauma’s impact, and how creative expression became their tool for self-witnessing.
The workshop offers five practical approaches for therapists who feel uncertain in their trauma work, emphasising the art of “walking beside” rather than pathologising client experiences.
Central to this workshop is understanding the power of the unspoken – how to truly see and hear what clients communicate through subtle signals and metaphor without presuming to know their story. The facilitators will demonstrate how creative work creates a shared space where difficult truths can be held safely, allowing both client and therapist to navigate trauma’s landscape with gentleness and awareness.
The session moves beyond creative expression to examine how therapists can shift from clinical labeling to supportive presence, encouraging practitioners to reflect deeply on their responses to client behaviors. Through discussion and experiential elements, participants will learn the delicate art of working with trauma responses, emphasising attunement over intervention.
Key Themes:
– Creative expression as a protective metaphor
– Reframing “childlike” responses
– Understanding covert sexual abuse and validation
– Practical therapeutic approaches
– The art of present witnessing
– Moving from pathology to partnership
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