Biography

Nicki Koethner, M.A., MFT is a Somatic Expressive Arts Psychotherapist, Educator, Consultant, and Multi-media Artist who specializes in transforming trauma into empowerment. She is devoted to playfulness, joy, and embodied earth-based spirituality. She has a private practice in Berkeley, CA, and online in English and German. She facilitates workshops, rituals and ceremonies internationally. She is adjunct faculty at Sofia University and the California Institute of Integral Studies, CIIS. She was a past ECC and board advisor to the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She is a contributing author to “Anxiety Warrior Vol 2,” “Anxiety meets Compassion” and contributing author to the  Mental Health Trainer’s Guide by Pacific Center for Human Growth: "Unlocking Stigma" working with LGBTQI2-S children, TAY, adults and older adults. Compassion Fatigue, Well-Being, And Burnout: An Expressive Arts Workbook for Healthcare Workers. 2021 CCHS Wellness Team. CCHS Wellness Playbook: Mindfulness, Yoga, Music and More. July 2021. She also facilitates healing ceremonies, workshops, and rituals. She is co-editor of the book “Inner Wild: Musings in Expressive Arts Therapy and Ecopsychology,” currently in press.

You can find out more about her work at www.express-explore-expand.com. 

Courses

Creative Expression for Master and PhD, PsyD students

Transpersonal Skills Lab Creative Application

Counseling Principles and Practices 

Publications

Articles

Blog newsletter about Nicki Koethner’s journey as an expressive arts therapist

Talks

Interview with Mo Golden in Art Kitchen as Multimedia artist

Conferences (Experiential/Didactic workshops, Posters)

• IEATA conference, Boone, NC 2007 Co-Facilitated Forum Building Bridges Across Countries and Continents: Expressive Arts In Europe
• Drama-therapy (NADT) Conference, 2008: “The Healing Power of Diversity,” co-facilitated
• IEATA conference, Boston, 2009; co-facilitated “Imprisoned by Concepts of Manhood: Freeing the Man Behind Bars.”
• Drama-therapy (NADT) Conference, 2009, co-facilitated: “Hitting Home: Restoring Justice and Building Community.”
• IEATA conference, Lima, Peru, August 2011, co-facilitated: “Earth Consciousness: Cultivating Inner Guidance with Ancestral Wisdom”
• IEATA conference, Berkeley, CA, March 2014. co-facilitated: “Earth Consciousness: Cultivating Inner Guidance in times of change”
• 12th Annual Rodnick Colloquium, June 2016, San Francisco: “Expressive Arts Therapy Opens the Door to Recovery in Buprenorphine Treatment Groups,” Poster-Presentation, Co-Author
• USC Innovations in Medical Education Conference, 2017, Los Angeles, “Enhancing Self-Care, Teaching and Patient-Centeredness Through Expressive Arts Therapy” Co-Author and workshop facilitator
• 13th Annual Rodnick Colloquium June 2017, San Francisco: "Utilizing expressive arts therapy in the hospital and group medical visits,” Poster-Presentation, Co-Author
• Trauma: Experience of Therapy co one-day conference, June 11, 2017, in Kyiv, Ukraine at the Institute for Social and Political Psychology, National Academy of Pedagogic Sciences. “Returning to the heart: Elemental Resources to deal with Trauma and Burn-out” Skype-Workshop for Therapists, social workers and psychology students.

Workshops

• Workshop “Explore your Soul through the Arts”  for RAHM, Novato, California, 7/2007
• Workshop “Getting in Touch with yourself through Creativity” Düsseldorf, Germany, 2008
• “Winter Play” Expressive Arts workshop co-facilitated with Delfina Piretti, Berkeley, February 2009
• “Therapeutic Memoir” Workshop -8 Week series- co-facilitated with Aaron Testard, Oakland 2009
• “Creative Play” with Third Graders, Elementary School, Essen, Germany, 2009
• “Interconnectiveness through Expressive Arts” for Kids Camp, Sivananda Yoga Ashram Grass Valley, July 2009
• “Fall Play” Expressive Arts workshop co-facilitated with Karina Colliat, Berkeley, October 2009
• “Making Sacred Masks” Frisbie St Art, Oakland, January 2010
• “Making Sacred Masks” December 2011, Terra’s Temple
• “Mask-Workshop and Creative Learning” April 2012 for FACES for the Future, St. Rose Hospital, Hayward.  This 2 high-school internship program is for juniors and seniors who have a desire to pursue the medical field and the mask-workshop is a part to engage their creative brain power. 
  “Making Sacred Masks” April 2012, Terra’s Temple
• “Queer Body Temple” co-facilitated with Julie Dreyer, reclaiming our gender and sexuality and the wholeness of our bodies through movement, breathing exercises and expressive arts, 2012
  Paintdance, NVC Connection Circles, Earth-based spirituality at Northern California Dance Collective, 2012-Present
• “Who are you becoming?” Making Sacred Masks to connect with your soul at Sofia University, February 2013
• Paintdance, Paintbrush Studio, November 9, 2013
• JFK Holistic Studies Fall Retreat Stories From the Heart: A Movement and Storytelling Workshop. November 2014, 2015  Earth Rise Retreat Center at Ions, Petaluma, CA
• Art for Wellness six week series, chronic pain and stress-relief, at Richmonad Art Center, 2016
• Art for Wellness workshop August 2016, Oakland