How does unresolved trauma impact an individual’s ability to engage in creative pursuits, and what therapeutic approaches are most effective in helping clients reclaim their creative potential?

This is the question I was recently asked in an interview by a singer and songwriter and wonderfully creative person herself – Aida Jabbari. I gave her a short answer, but I thought this is a great topic to expand on, hence this article.

As a psychologist working with performers and artists, I’ve noticed something profound: trauma doesn’t just steal our sense of safety, but it often takes our creativity hostage, too. When clients tell me, when they sit down to create and they feel frozen, disconnected or shut down, I understand they’re describing a biological reality. 

The truth is: unresolved trauma can profoundly impair an individual’s ability to engage in creative pursuits by disrupting emotional regulation, fragmenting self-identity, and fostering dissociation from somatic and affective experiences – key components of the creative process (van der Kolk, 2014). van der Kolk (the author of one of seminal books on trauma – ‘The Body Keeps the Score’) emphasises that trauma reshapes our nervous system, leaving us stuck in survival mode of either hypervigilance (dysregulation & hyperactivity) or shutdown (depression & dissociation), which directly conflict with the openness, playfulness, spontaneity, emotional flexibility and vulnerability required for artistic expression (Perry, 2009). Additionally, traumatic memories stored in the implicit (non-declarative) memory system can trigger avoidance behaviours, further stifling creative exploration (Rothschild, 2000).

But here’s what I want you to know: this isn’t permanent! Just as trauma disrupts, therapy can rebuild. In my practice, I’ve seen powerful results with trauma therapies that bridge the mind and body. EMDR (Shapiro, 2018) helps reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer trigger overwhelm, freeing up mental space for creative flow. Somatic Experiencing (Levine, 1997) gently releases stored survival stress, which can feel like “unblocking” energy that was trapped in fight-or-flight. With performers, I often use Brainspotting (Grand, 2013) – it’s remarkable for accessing subcortical trauma (where many creative blocks live) without needing to overanalyse. And IFS (Internal Family Systems, Schwartz, 1995) helps artists reconnect with exiled parts of themselves, like the inner critic or the “risky” creative self, with curiosity rather than fear.

You can read about these therapies in my previous blog. They not only help you remove the blocks but they also can re-ignite your creativity in other ways https://expansionpsychology.com/the-performers-mind-toolkit-how-specialised-therapy-can-elevate-performance-emdr-brainspotting-ifs-cbt-act-cft-and-mindfulness-can-transform-your-art/ 

A Note to the Creators Reading This

If you’re feeling stuck, please know: your creativity isn’t gone. It’s waiting. Trauma convinces us we’re broken, but healing is possible & and it doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Don’t take my word for it, ask others who have been through the process and have come on the other side! 

What else could help?

Remove expectations. Start small. Very small. Trauma thrives in isolation, so gentle, consistent creative acts, even just doodling or humming, can rebuild neural pathways (Perry, 2009).

Try this today: Set a timer for 90 seconds. Scribble, hum, or move badly on purpose (important, as it removes the pressure to get it done well). No goal, no audience. This isn’t about “making art”; it’s about reminding your nervous system: “We’re safe enough to play.”

And if the weight feels heavy? That’s what therapy is for. You deserve support.

As a trauma specialist, I am biased but I’d say consider working with a trauma therapist, especially one that understands the creative arts world. Creativity isn’t lost; it’s often waiting for the right conditions to re-emerge, and healing the nervous system can make all the difference.

With warmth and solidarity,
Dr Maja – a psychologist who loves working with stage performers and creative artists

P.S. Eternal gratitude to my incredible assistant psychologist Joanne Oliver – your patience with my chaotic creativity makes this work possible.

References (for the science-curious):

Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: The revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change. Sounds True.

Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma. North Atlantic Books.

Rothschild, B. (2000). The body remembers: The psychophysiology of trauma and trauma treatment. W.W. Norton & Company.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.