Creative care webinar #1: When words aren’t enough

Why art matters to gender based domestic violence survivors?

What is the evidence on expressive arts for trauma recovery among newcomers? This webinar shares current literature and findings as evidence of arts impact in healthcare and settlement. Learn how expressive arts serve as effective interventions for trauma, healing and belonging in newcomer communities. Gain insights into trauma-informed expressive arts practices and the crucial role of artists on interprofessional healthcare teams. Connect with like-minded service providers passionate about leveraging the arts to create healthier, more vibrant newcomer communities.

Moderated by Christen Kong, HEAL project coordinator, Access Alliance. Panelists include:

Georgia Fullerton, Expressive Arts Therapist Associate Program Director, The CREATE Institute and Visual Artist
Izumi Sakamoto, Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Melissa Foong, Art Psychotherapist and Program Worker, Breakthrough Program, YWCA Toronto

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

What specific outcomes (e.g., changes in self-esteem, belonging, or service uptake) have you observed or measured when using expressive arts with newcomer GBV survivors?
What types of expressive arts modalities have shown the strongest impact, and how do outcomes differ across modalities?
Can you describe one concrete example where expressive arts led to a measurable shift in a participant’s well-being or engagement? What indicators were used?
How do you assess whether expressive arts are contributing to trauma recovery beyond traditional interventions? What tools or methods do you use?
What are the key conditions (e.g., facilitator training, environment, cultural matching) that most strongly influence successful outcomes?

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