WCP 2025

This presentation introduces Mindfulness-Based Creative Art Expressive Therapy (MBCAET) as an integrative psychotherapeutic approach for working with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in migrant populations. Rooted in humanistic psychology, mindfulness-based interventions, creative arts therapies (CATs), and Gestalt therapy, MBCAET offers a holistic and culturally adaptable method to address the psychological impact of forced migration and trauma.
Against the background of the Venezuelan migration crisis, this approach responds to the specific challenges faced by displaced individuals, including emotional dysregulation, dissociation, and barriers to verbal communication. MBCAET combines structured mindfulness practices with creative and somatic techniques to promote emotional expression, self-regulation, and identity reconstruction.
The model draws from experiences in Emotional Support Groups developed by the Fundación Venezolana de Psicología del Arte (2018–2024) and is supported by content analysis of theoretical, clinical and neuroscientific literature. Key elements of the intervention include mindful art-making, meditative writing, movement-based expression, and the use of narrative and symbolic forms to integrate fragmented traumatic experiences.
MBCAET aligns with international standards for psychotherapy, particularly in its emphasis on experiential methods, the therapeutic relationship, and scientific grounding. The presentation will outline the therapeutic structure, methodological innovations, and practical implications for clinical use. While initial outcomes point to enhanced emotional resilience and reduced PTSD symptoms, further empirical validation is required.
This contribution aims to open a dialogue on the potential of integrative, arts-based and mindfulness-oriented psychotherapies to support migrant populations in healing trauma and restoring agency in contexts of displacement and uncertainty.