Healing Hands, Healing Hearts: Sensorimotor Art Therapy for Survivors of Torture and Trauma
11 March 2026 | 3.30-5pm AEDT | Free webinar → Register Now!
WHERE TRAUMA LIVES IN THE BODY: RESTORING SAFETY THROUGH ART AND TOUCH
Torture and chronic trauma leave profound imprints on the body, fragmenting regulation, embodiment, and a survivor’s sense of internal safety. Many survivors experience hyperarousal, dissociation, chronic pain, and emotional numbing as the nervous system adapts to overwhelming threat. This free Clinical Master Class explores how sensorimotor art therapy—through clay, sand, paint, and other tactile materials—can provide gentle, non-verbal pathways for reconnection and recovery. Through haptic engagement and embodied expression, clinicians can support survivors of torture and trauma to rebuild trust in their bodies, regulate distress, and restore a sense of wholeness.
LEARN FROM LEADING EXPERTS IN SENSORIMOTOR AND TRAUMA-INFORMED ART THERAPY
Join Cornelia Elbrecht, internationally recognised art therapy expert and Founder of the Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy, and Yuhana Nashmi, Senior Group Counsellor at STARTTS, as they explore the neuroscience of haptic perception, the therapeutic power of working with the hands, and the role of clay-based art therapy in supporting survivors of torture and trauma. Together, they will offer theory, practice, and lived clinical insights into how tactile, non-verbal modalities can foster embodiment, safety, and healing.
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN
✅ A clear understanding of how torture and chronic trauma disrupt the nervous system, embodiment, and emotional regulation.
✅ Insights into why survivors often struggle with verbal narrative processing—and how non-verbal, tactile modalities offer safer pathways to healing.
✅ An introduction to the neuroscience of haptic perception and why working with clay, sand, and paint can support bottom-up regulation.
✅ Practical strategies for integrating sensorimotor and art-based approaches into trauma-informed clinical practice.
✅ A powerful case study demonstrating the use of clay therapy with survivors of torture and trauma, highlighting shifts in grounding, agency, and reconnection.
✅ Tools to create culturally responsive, safe, and embodied therapeutic environments for clients with high levels of distress.
✅ Direct access to the presenters in a live Q&A panel moderated by Jorge Aroche, STARTTS CEO and Clinical Psychologist
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This webinar is ideal for:
- Art therapists, creative therapists, and somatic practitioners
- Psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, and social workers
- Clinicians working with survivors of torture, trauma, and displacement
- Group facilitators, community practitioners, and caseworkers
- Professionals interested in embodied, non-verbal, and neuroscience-informed approaches to trauma recovery
Cornelia Elbrecht
Cornelia Elbrecht, AThR, SATh, SEP is an internationally recognised leader in trauma-focused art therapy with over 40 years of clinical and teaching experience. Founder and Director of the Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy, she is best known for developing and teaching Guided Drawing® and Clay Field Therapy®, two pioneering body-focused approaches to trauma healing. Cornelia’s background includes training in expressive arts therapies, Jungian and Gestalt therapy, Bioenergetics, and Somatic Experiencing, alongside degrees in fine arts and arts education. She teaches globally through workshops, Claerwen Retreat in Apollo Bay, and accredited online courses for therapists, educators, and mental health professionals. A respected author and supervisor, she is accredited with ANZACATA, IEATA, and IACAET.
Yuhana Nashmi
Yuhana Nashmi is a Senior Clinical Group Counsellor and Project Officer at STARTTS with over 25 years’ experience supporting refugees and trauma-impacted communities. A qualified social worker and survivor of war and persecution, he brings lived insight into displacement, loss, and recovery. Yuhana integrates trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and somatic approaches in his clinical and community work in Australia and internationally. A multidisciplinary artist, Clay Field Therapist, and Suicide Prevention Trainer, he uses clay and creative processes to promote healing, connection, and cultural expression. His interests include group therapy, embodied practice, collective trauma, suicidality, and cultural resilience. Through projects such as When the Hands Speak, he fosters agency, belonging, and shared narratives of hope.
Jorge Aroche
Jorge Aroche is a clinical psychologist and STARTTS’ Chief Executive Officer. Jorge was born in Uruguay and has worked with migrants and refugee survivors of torture and organized violence since before 1989, when he joined STARTTS. He has led the organization since March 1997, helping STARTTS grow from a dozen staff to more than 400, assuming a truly state-wide role and becoming a world leader in this field in the process. Jorge has also held a number of honorary positions in international humanitarian organizations, Australia government advisory bodies and NGO boards. He was the President of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) from 2016 until November 2020.
FORMAT AND INCLUSIONS
Presented by experts in the refugee trauma field
Includes real-life scenarios, practical tips and a Q&A panel
Claim 1.5 CPD points
Receive a certificate of completion and a PDF of the presentation slides
Free access to the webinar recording
SECURE YOUR SPOT
Register now now to secure your spot and receive access to the free recording. The full catalogue of recorded webinars is available here.
CONTACT US
stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au
(02) 9646 6700 Ask for the Training Administration Officer