Creativity and Embodiment for Trauma Transformation

In this dynamic and captivating workshop you can hear about how to transform trauma and profoundly heal. Visual artist, creativity midwife, award winning author and activist Arla Patch will walk us through a number of specific healing processes involving the power of creativity.

She has facilitated these with incarcerated women, at-risk teens, survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and women who have faced breast cancer. Her interest in healing and justice also led her to work with indigenous peoples on a truth commission and as a member of the Coalition of Natives and Allies.

About the presenter:

Arla Patch is a teaching artist, author, social justice activist, and co-founding member of the Coalition of Natives and Allies.

She’s been called a “Creativity Midwife” and has written two award wining books on art and healing having worked with incarcerated women, at-risk teen girls, survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and women who have faced breast cancer.

When she lived in Maine, her interest in healing and justice led her to work for the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the US for what happened to Native children in the child welfare system.

Her role as Community Engagement Coordinator for Maine Wabanaki REACH created opportunities for educating the non-Native Maine population about the need for the truth commission.

Since returning to Pennsylvania in 2015, she has been working to educate others about the truth that most of us weren’t taught and also work on Pennsylvania State legislation to outlaw the use of Native people for sports mascots.