Queer Expressions for Healing

Wednesdae Reim Ifrach is an expressive arts therapist, artist, and scholar whose work explores embodiment, queer identity, trauma healing, and creative practice. Through art, research, and somatic therapy, their work examines how creative expression becomes a pathway for reclaiming the body and transforming trauma.  

Join Wednesdae and CIIS faculty Em Marinelli for a healing conversation exploring a queer-centered lens on healing, embodiment, and creativity. Sharing insights from their work and latest book, Queer Expressions, Wednesdae discusses tools for healing body trauma through somatic and expressive arts practices. 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 shares tools and rituals to help you, or your clients, move from shut down or on high alert into steadier, more connected living. 
Whether you, or your clients are navigating dysphoria, ED recovery, chronic stress, or nervous system dysregulation, Wednesdae shares how to build a more livable relationship with your body—and a story big enough to hold who you are becoming. 

This conversation includes live audience Q&A. Books are available to add to your order at checkout.

Meet the Speakers

Image

Wednesdae Reim Ifrach 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. They are the author of Queer Expressions: Expressive Art and Somatic Therapy Practices for Healing Body Trauma (North Atlantic Books).

Image

Em Marinelli is an Associate Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program at California Institute of Integral Studies. In their private therapy practice, Em offers warm and supportive guidance to individuals and couples, using a humanistic, trauma-informed, feminist, social justice, and strengths-based approach. They are a 2025 Tin House and 2026 Lambda Literary fellow. Their essays have appeared in Alan Squire Publishing, The Blue Rose Magazine, Film Obsessive, Variety Pack, Hot Mess Press and Anti-Heroin Chic.

Em hosts the Twin Peaks Tattoo Podcast, where they chat with fans about their Twin Peaks tattoos and what their ink means to them. They cohost the Queer Therapists Talk Wayward podcast and the Reheated Rivalry podcast. Em's debut memoir, Comfort Sequels: The Psychology of Movie Sequels from the 80s and 90s won First Place in the Entertainment and LGBTQ+ categories at the 2024 Bookfest Awards and the International Impact Book Award in LGBTQ+ Nonfiction. Em's new book Trees Lounge: Behind The Bar, is an oral history of Steve Buscemi's 1996 indie classic film. It features all-new interviews with the cast and crew-including Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny, and Carol Kane--telling the story of how Trees Lounge came to life and why it continues to resonate with audiences today. Em loves teaching tap dancing and enjoys WAY too much artificial butter on their popcorn. Follow Em online @emsmarinelli. emsmarinelli.com 

Important Information

We are grateful to our Bookstore Partner
Marcus Books is the nation’s oldest Black-owned independent bookstore celebrating its 60th year. Marcus Books’ mission is to provide opportunities for Black folks and their allies to celebrate and learn about Black people everywhere. Learn more about Marcus Books.

Accessibility Information
If you need to request accessibility accommodations, please email publicprograms@ciis.edu at least one week prior to the event. For more information, explore our Accessibility web page.

Recording Policy
Ticket holders will have access to an ad-free replay of the event for one month after the live event, after which unlimited viewing with ads will be available. Portions of the audio will also be released on our podcast. Only registered ticket holders who choose to watch live can participate in the chat and Q&A.

Attending as a Prospective Student?
Contact Admissions at admissions@ciis.edu to learn about complimentary tickets.

Refund Policy
All tickets and add-ons purchased for this event are nonrefundable.