PAULA THOMSON
Dance, Creativity, and Embodiment:
A Psychological Journey
Even though life is full of adversity, embracing the creative resources within us allows us to not only endure but to thrive. This presentation will introduce my personal journey as a dancer and choreographer and how the therapeutic process as patient and clinician enhanced my creative expression. Beyond my own personal relationship to creativity and psychology, research findings gathered from our psychophysiology laboratory at California State University, Northridge will be offered to provide substantial empirical evidence that creativity is valued, especially by those who have been exposed to multiple childhood adversities and adult traumatic events. The role of embodied creativity will be examined from the perspective of personal and clinical experience as well as from our psychophysiological research results. Images and video clips from my choreographic works will be shared throughout the presentation, with opportunities for audience members to experiment with some of the movement motifs that were embedded in my dances. As Martha Graham stated, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” The opportunity to creatively explore our inner being, even though there is fear and doubt and dissatisfaction, is a way to compassionately engage with our own flawed humanity. For me, this complicated process persists, with no sign that it will change in the near or distant future.
About The Speaker:
Paula Thomson, PsyD, is Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and works in private practice in California. She is Co-Director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at CSUN, and Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar at York University’s Departments of Theatre and Graduate Studies (Canada). She is a reliable Adult Attachment Interview coder and actively conducts research investigating attachment, early trauma, and creativity. She is the co-author of two books, Creativity and the Performing Artist: Behind the Mask and Creativity, Trauma, and Resilience and author of multiple chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is a Fellow with the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and a member of the Mental Health Working Group with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She was a professional dancer and continues work as choreographer and movement coach in dance, theatre, and opera. Past professional choreographic company work includes Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage Company, Stratford Shakespearean Festival, Northern Lights Dance Theatre, Ballet Jorgen, and UCLA On the Edge of Chaos. In 2013, she was named one of the top 20 female professors in California.