Drawing from First Nations ways of knowing and the We Al-li Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Approach (CITIHA), this session explores how ceremony, creativity, and storytelling intertwine to restore connection between body, emotion, and spirit. Through artful reflection, movement, sound, and guided sensory awareness, participants will experience how creative processes can become pathways to cultural safety, truth-telling and deep emotional release.
By centring Country as the creative and therapeutic heart, this presentation opens a space where art, spirit, and place come together in ceremony, reminding us that healing is a collective, creative act.
Learning outcomes:
- Understanding the role of Country as co-creator and co-therapist in expressive healing practices.
- Using ceremony, rhythm, and narrative to re-story trauma and reconnect to belonging.
- Engaging creative modalities — art, movement, sound, and storytelling — as culturally informed tools for transformation.
- Building facilitator capacity for cultural humility, embodied awareness and community care.
Participants will leave with creative, culturally grounded tools for fostering trauma-integrated healing that honours the reciprocity between people, story and the living land.
Who is this event for?
This session is aimed at creative arts therapists, somatic practitioners and facilitators of expressive, nature-based, or community arts practices. The session offers both conceptual and experiential learning.
Event Details
Date: Thursday 16 July 2026
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm (AEST)
Location: Online via Zoom
Please check your time zone to avoid disappointment
Recording provided to all registrants
Presenter: Dr Carlie Atkinson
Dr Caroline (Carlie) Atkinson, a Bundjalung and Yiman woman and accredited Social Worker (PhD CDU, 2009), is a national leader in culturally informed, trauma-integrated healing. As CEO of We Al-li, she designs and delivers CITIHA training and resources to transform systems and communities across Australia. She developed the first Aboriginal trauma assessment tool and is an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and Chief Investigator on five major MRFF, NHMRC and ARC grants. Her work bridges research, policy and healing practice.
* Please note that presenter bios are prepared by the presenters and are shared as provided without modification. They reflect each presenter's own professional journey and perspective.
CPD
Attending this webinar counts as 2 hours of Category A CPD (Continuing Professional Development). Watching a recording of this webinar, which will be provided to registrants, can be used towards 2 hours of Category B CPD.
You must attend 75% of a webinar to receive a CPD certificate for Category A CPD.
Ticket Prices
PACFA Members: $35.00 + GST ($38.50)
Student Members: $25.00 + GST ($27.50)
Non-Members: $50.00 + GST ($55.00)
What to Expect After You Register
Once registered, your personal Zoom link will be dispatched directly to you via email from Zoom within 1 hour of registration and 1 hour prior to the event. Please keep an eye on your inbox for an email from Zoom ([email protected]). All future correspondence pertaining to this event, including event recordings, will be communicated through the PACFA email address ([email protected]). To ensure a seamless experience, we recommend adding both email addresses to your safe sender list to prevent missed communications.
Alternatively, you can find the Zoom link if you log into your account under the "My events" tab.
Event Cancellations
Customers seeking to cancel their registration more than 5 working days (for courses) and 48 hours (for webinars) prior to the event date may request a credit to be applied to their account. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Cancellations made with less notice than this are non-refundable or exchangeable. Credits are valid for up to a year from the purchase date. This policy is at PACFA's discretion and may change.