519: Expressive Arts Therapy + Trauma Dr. Cathy Malchiodi

This week I'm sharing my recent interview with Dr. Cathy Malchiodi, a leader in the trauma, expressive arts and art therapy fields. In our conversation Cathy explores the transformative power of expressive arts therapy in healing from traumatic experiences.She discusses the evolution of arts-based approaches, the importance of movement and sensory processing, and the distinctions between art therapy and expressive arts therapy. Cathy Malchiodi emphasizes the need for therapists to create safe environments and engage in expressive practices themselves. She discusses the Circle of Capacity, a concept she created in response to the Window of Tolerance concept from Dr. Daniel Siegel's work. The discussion also touches on the role of mindfulness and the significance of small moments of safety in therapeutic settings. An internationally known psychotherapist and expressive arts therapist, Dr. Cathy Malchiodi has helped shape the field of traumatic stress through her decades of work with children, adults, families, and communities. Cathy is the author of numerous publications including several bestselling books that have become standards in the fields of expressive arts therapy, art therapy, trauma recovery, and creative approaches to clinical practice. She is the founder and executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, a source of education and professional development for over 30,000 psychotherapists, counselors, creative arts therapists, somatic educators, and coaches. Cathy has held seven academic appointments and is the recipient of many awards including Kennedy Center Honors, research grants, and several university fellowships. Dr. Malchiodi promotes a capacity-focused, neurodiversity-affirming approach to traumatic stress grounded in evidence-informed expressive arts therapy and sensory integration. Drawing on principles of EMDR, somatic therapy, arts therapies, and sensory processing, she developed Bilateral Movement Desensitization and Resensitization, an innovative model to facilitate trauma recovery and restore health and well-being. Resources from this episode: Learn about Trauma-informed Expressive Arts Therapy here Dr. Cathy Malchiodi writes on Substack - read it here Dr. Cathy Malchiodi's website is found here Find Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body and Imagination in the Healing Process on the publisher's website here . More Resources: Therapists - if you're ready to allow yourself to be held in nature with a community of like-minded therapists, my Mind, Body + Soul Healing Retreat for Therapists in Tulum, Mexico is here . November/December dates are on the website now! Also, new members are being accepted in the Trauma Therapist Network membership community. Learn more here . Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here ! Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more. Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com ! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com , clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today. Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: Advertising Inquiries:

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519: Expressive Arts Therapy + Trauma Dr. Cathy Malchiodi is an episode from Therapy Chat by Laura Reagan, LCSW-C.

This episode is 53:46 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

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