About ArtMentum

Art and well-being

Art has a special ability to connect people and create communities.
Through our methods, we create spaces where people can come together, process experiences and build meaningful connections.
We believe that art has the potential to inspire, challenge and create lasting change in our lives and society.

Welcome to ArtMentum – where art therapy and creative methods meet to promote well-being and self-development. We are a platform dedicated to inspiring practitioners to use artistic practice and art therapy when working with trauma patients. Behind ArtMentum is a strong team consisting of Nordic School of Arts and Health and Art Nordic. In addition, ArtMentum includes a team of art experts and therapists who contribute to the development of methods and techniques.

Art as trauma processing

We provide professional practitioners, therapists and counselors with access to knowledge and inspiration on how art can be used to help people with trauma and victims of violence move on with their lives. The approaches and methods on the platform are based on forward-looking work that can provide hope, vitality and empowerment. As opposed to exposing and revisiting the trauma. Through art, we focus on externalization. If there is a need to revisit the trauma, we recommend seeking advice from experts in the field. With this project, we will demonstrate how the practice of art therapy can help people with trauma, victims of violence, regain self-worth, a sense of boundaries and control in their own lives. Artmentum is a resource platform that provides knowledge about art and expressive arts therapy as therapy. It has instructional videos, podcasts, articles containing case stories.

Art in personal development

At ArtMentum, we believe that artistic and creative expression has a profound impact on our well-being and personal development. Art therapy has proven to be a powerful method for dealing with emotional challenges, strengthening our mental wellbeing and connecting with ourselves and each other. Through our extensive experience and expertise in art therapy and creative processes, we strive to make these methods accessible to a wide range of professionals.

Team

Our team consists of dedicated professionals who are passionate about creating positive change through artistic practice. Jens Larsen and Cæcilie Liv Carlsen from the Nordic School of Arts and Health have many years of experience in art therapy and storytelling.

At ArtMentum, we offer programs and courses aimed at enhancing well-being and self-development. Our approach is based on a combination of therapeutic techniques and artistic processes that allow people to explore their creativity, express themselves freely and discover new sides of themselves.

The team behind

Cæcilie Liv Carlsen

Cæcilie Liv Carlsen is a trained art therapist with an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy with a minor in psychology from The European Graduate School in Switzerland and is chairman of the Danish Art Therapy Association. Her interest in this field began in 2007 – 2010 when she assisted in The Culture project in NYC for director Allan Buchman. She quickly realized that art not only entertains, but can also offer wellness and health on a larger scale. Since 2010, she has worked in the US coaching and personal development with clients and staff for organizations such as Casa Treatment Center, Greenhouse Therapy Center and The New York School of Visual Arts. Caecilie Liv Carlsen is a member of the Screen Actors Guild as a performer. Cæcilie is co-founder of the Nordic School of Arts and Health.

Jens Larsen

Jens Larsen has worked with general education, lifelong learning and storytelling for more than two decades. He has written books on educational conversations, leadership, music and storytelling with professor and philosopher Ole Fogh Kirkeby, author Helle Helle and Jesper Wung Sung. He creates projects, fundraises and teaches how to work with art and education in organizations and among people to strengthen health and creativity. For 24 years, he has been responsible for Testrup Højskole’s writing courses; in collaboration with American professor David Boje and Lena Bruun, he developed the ethical storytelling method True storytelling. He teaches personal leadership in the Master of Public Governance at Aalborg University and is affiliated with an international research network within storytelling and organizational development. Jens is currently researching the relevance of storytelling to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Jens is co-founder of the Nordic School of Arts and Health.

Loa Brix

Loa Brix has many years of experience as a communications and management consultant from organizations such as Gate 21, the Ministry of Energy and Climate and Gyldendal Publishing. Today, she is the owner of the communications and marketing agency Trooper and the art fair Art Nordic, which organizes annual exhibitions with artists from all over the Nordic region. Loa has taught storytelling and strategic communication at Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences. She holds a Master’s degree in Literary History and Rhetoric and is the author of the book Skriften i Munden (Scripture in the Mouth) about rhetoric in the Danish National Church.

Melinda Meyer

Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott is currently working as a professor at the AHS European Graduate School. Melinda’s research interests include community and group psychotherapy and expressive arts. Her current project is implementing EXIT (expressive arts in transit) in schools, health centers, and reception centers. UNN is responsible for a research project looking at the impact of EXIT in Northern Norway. A certificate program will start at NIKUT including EXIT in 2018. In addition, there are EXIT training programs in Malta and Germany. Melinda has a part-time position as a senior professor at the University of Southeast Norway and is the pedagogical leader of the Expressive Arts program.

Aglaia Michelaki

Aglaia Michelaki is a Gestalt psychotherapist with a background in Art History from the University of Toronto and is a certified Mindfulness (MBSR) Yoga Nidra instructor. She brings art therapy tools to the Trauma Sensitive practice because of her expertise in the connection between trauma and chronic pain. In her private practice in Copenhagen, she works with clients facilitating art walks in museums to explore how public art can be used in therapy.