Queer Expressions: Expressive Art and Somatic Therapy Practices for Healing Body Trauma

Queer Expressions: Expressive Art and Somatic Therapy Practices for Healing Body Trauma

A creative, body-based guide to healing for queer, trans, and gender-expansive readers—somatic tools and expressive arts to feel safer in your body, rewrite your story, and sustain connection Queer Expressions is a practical, consent-centered guide to healing body trauma through embodiment and creativity. Drawing on somatic therapy—grounding, breath, orientation, gentle movement—and expressive arts—collage, drawing, clay, movement, music, voice—within a harm-reduction frame of pacing, choice, and safety plans, Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (REAT, ATR-BC, LPC) shares grounded practices, case vignettes, and simple rituals to help you move from shut down or on high alert into steadier, more connected living. The book follows a simple arc: first, feel and steady your nervous system; next, turn those sensations into art and story; and finally, build rituals and relationships that help the changes last—whether you’re navigating dysphoria, ED recovery, chronic stress, or nervous system dysregulation. Inside you’ll find: Body check-ins (quick prompts to name sensations and needs), short breath & movement practices (1–10 minutes), and sensory prompts (sight/sound/touch/smell/taste) - Art invitations (collage, drawing, movement, sound/voice) with step-by-step guidance and safety notes - Consent & harm-reduction tools (opt-in/out menus, pacing, crisis planning) to keep the work manageable - Community practices & rituals (altar-making, release-writing, witness circles) to anchor change in daily lif - A queer-centered lens on healing, embodiment, and creativity Warm, inclusive, and usable on your own or with a therapist, Queer Expressions helps you build a more livable relationship with your body—and a story big enough to hold who you are becoming. "A deeply considered, liberatory framework where art becomes a tool for survival, self-expression, and transformation.... I believe this will be a vital resource for clinicians, educators, and anyone invested in creating more compassionate, just, and creative possibilities for body-based and expressive arts healing." —JACKIE ARMSTRONG , MA (she/they), associate educator, visitor research and experience at The Museum of Modern Art "Through vivid client narratives, Wednesdae bridges theory and practice and reminds us that arts therapies must ultimately make our clients' lives more livable, hospitable, and joyful. A timely, essential read for anyone studying or supporting LGBTQIA+ lives through creative therapeutic practice." —ZACHARY D. VAN DEN BERG, MA, ATR-BC, LPC , author and editor of Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy , art therapist and counselor, and president and founder of the Coalition for Queer Creative Arts Therapies, Inc. "A master class in the art of healing. Wednesdae fuses expressive and somatic therapies with precision, compassion, and heart, showing how creativity can transform pain into power. Their writing moves, teaches, and inspires in equal measure—inviting readers to pick up the brush, the pen, or the dance step and reclaim their own narratives. This book doesn't just inform; it ignites." —MONIKA OSTROFF , LICSW, CEDS-S (she/they), executive director of MEDA (Multi-Service Eating Disorder Association) Wednesdae is a trans/non-binary art therapist and counselor dedicated to providing gender-affirming, trauma-informed care that emphasizes healing-centered engagement, body justice, intersectional social justice, and equitable access to eating disorder treatment. They co-own and operate Rainbow Recovery, offering clinical supervision, consultations, trainings, workshops, counseling, and art therapy services to clients in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. As a full-time professor at Moravian University, Wednesdae teaches mental health counseling, social work, and expressive art courses, inspiring future professionals. Over the past decade, they have led trainings and workshops for organizations such as the American Art Therapy Association, National Alliance for Eating Disorders, and Yale University, among others. Previously, Wednesdae founded the country’s first 2sLGBTQIA+ Eating Disorder Program, served on Project HEAL’s Board, and presided over the Connecticut Art Therapy Association. They currently co-chair the Health Professionals in Training Program on the GLMA Board. Their expertise addresses LGBTQ+ concerns and trauma, honoring each client’s identity.