Come join in this trauma-focused women's group! We will engage in 10 weeks of Expressive Arts processes, including writing/journaling, visual arts, sound and movement, while interweaving the contemplative practices in order to build resilience and heal traumatic symptoms.

Women reWoven Group (Women of Traumatic Experience)

Creating together to heal trauma…

“individual wounds heal collectively”

Come explore creative processes (art, journaling, sound, music, meditation) in a safe community! No art skills are necessary—this is for anyone interested in creating as a way to express themselves in order to gain new understanding, more peace, and a clearer healing path ahead.

These small groups offer a sacred space to first identify the impact of trauma on the body and mind. The group then works to safely explore themes to better understand and manage trauma symptoms, resulting in new wisdom to apply in daily life.

Women reWoven is a metaphor inspired by the textiles woven in women circles of our female ancestors: sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters, grandmothers... Women circles were historically often centered around women doing the work that brought cohesion, passed traditions and stories, empowered one another, and grew skills that impacted daily lives. Today, this idea of looking at the many threads that constitute the fabric of one’s individual life, as well as that of families, friends, community, and the greater world—these are all invitations to be mindful of what we weave, separately and together. Inviting the unraveling of old ways that do not serve, reweaving new, empowering stories of the self, while finding strength and wisdom through the new fabric of the collective community of women is the heart of this workshop.

*Please note that this is a closed group, meaning that once the group has formed, in order to provide emotional safety for the participants to work deeply within the therapeutic arts process, we do not bring in new participants for this group. This truly changes the way our creative community feels, with participants forming strong relationships and collaborations within the weeks of expressive process.

We ask that participants are ready to commit to the group series and do not intend to miss more than a couple sessions in order to maintain group cohesion. We have 10 sessions to truly maximize what you receive and look forward to powerful, creative Tuesday evenings to share with you!

What this group IS:

Inclusive and welcoming of all who feel they fit the parameters of the group (benefiting from content)
A group that builds on each week’s activities, requiring a commitment to attend all or most groups
Facilitated by a trained Expressive Arts Psychotherapist to safely support participants with both essential structure, & flexibility
Co-created by the group and for the group (We share and value individual skills and wisdom equally, adapting to the unique community of participants in the way the group unfolds)
A place where unheard voices, untold stories can find new forms of expression & be witnessed
A place to be curious, learn new ways to process, build self-esteem & gain more resilience
A radically safe community where boundaries are established to ensure participants are respected, valued, safe, ensuring a standard practice of confidentiality.

What this group is NOT:

(not) Controlling & rigid
(not) Only for artists and people who feel at ease about talking about past or current trauma
(not) Facilitated by “experts” who believe they are experts of others’ lives
(not) Requiring participants to have an identified diagnosis of PTSD or other traumatic diagnosis
(not) A place for judgment of a participant’s art form, process, or way of being/expressing
(not) Discriminating

Welcoming all women who have experienced some form of traumatic experience or background. Trauma can disrupt one’s ability to engage in activities with family, work and community. It can complicate the way an individual feels and interacts in relationships. It can keep individuals and families in patterns that are hurtful and damaging, eroding at one’s sense of self and safety, disrupting sleep, appetite, secure attachments, trust, focus and capacity to fully thrive in life. Trauma does not discriminate.

Interweaving art process and stories among a community of women intertwines narratives for the whole, meanwhile making the individual stronger. Come weave!

We are now accepting registrations for our Women reWoven Expressive Arts Groups for ages 18 and above.

Sessions will take place at NExT Foundation in Millwork Commons (1111 N 13^th St; Suite 114). Groups will be facilitated by Natalie Hogge, MA, LIMHP, REAT

Fee: Groups are provided, with a $10 suggested donation per week, but this is not mandatory. Some insurance providers can offset costs. Medicaid and BCBS insurance welcome. NExT Foundation facilitators offer the groups as a service to the community regardless of funding. We believe in healing trauma, and building positive mental health.

Dates: Groups will take place on Wednesdays, with 10 scheduled group workshops. Weather often results in an additional week due to a postponement.

Wednesday evenings, 5:30-7:30 pm

*Art Materials, journals & light nourishment is provided (snacks & drinks)

Gather (Form our circle; establish gentle rituals, norms and co-create safety; Complete intake process)

Ground (Mindful art; reset the nervous system)

Emerge (Reclaim the curious child... awareness, play, and opening)

Deconstruct (Separating patterns from identity: roots, boundary blueprint, wounds)

Nurture- (Tending what is necessary to create and sustain well-being)

Thread (Weave together Possibilities, envisioning a different way of being)

Cultivate (Capturing & honing new thoughts, practices, and growth from seeds planted)

Mend (Integrating healing practices collectively and individually beyond the group)

Witness (Holding space to witness the collective art narratives)

Celebrate (Closing ceremony; honor and celebrate growth and connection)

*(Additional date may be added at the end should we need to cancel due to weather, etc).

Women reWoven Expressive Arts Trauma Group