Creative Arts Therapy, PLLC

Katie Down, LCAT, MT-BC, MMT, MM, is a licensed creative arts therapist with post-graduate certifications from the Trauma Studies Program at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, EMDR with Laurel Parnell, MBSR at Shambala Meditation Center, Deep Listening® with the Deep Listening Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Trauma- Informed Sandplay Therapy with Lucy Barbera and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy with Journey Clinical.

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She introduces somatic practices, mindfulness, and creative inquiry for self-expression and wellbeing where clients can experience true self-acceptance and unconditional positive regard, the release of emotional stressors related to trauma, a deeper connection to the self and others, and insight into personal integrity and purpose. 

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She was a full time instructor and lecturer at SUNY New Paltz from 2020 - 2024 and is a regular guest lecturer on the topics of mindfulness in music, music therapy, trauma-informed psychotherapy, sound healing, Deep Listening, and music improvisation. She has lectured and provided experiential workshops at NYU, Vassar College, University of Colorado, The School for Visual Arts, Cal State Fullerton, The Jewish Theological Seminary, Hofstra University, Manhattan College, and has presented at conferences including the annual Expressive Arts Therapy Summit, The International Conference on Improvisation in Music Therapy in Leuven, Belgium, and the Associação Portuguesa de Musicoterapia in Lisbon, Portugal. She created the Mindfulness in Music component for the Spiegel Academy's DBT training program that provides full CMTE credits for Music Therapists across the country.

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Katie has been at the forefront of integrating sound and music into clinical work, training MDs, LSCWs, LCATs, holistic healing practitioners and musicians in how to incorporate sound into their personal and professional lives for continued health and wellbeing. She started the music and mindfulness program at the Brooklyn Music School where she served as director of Music Therapy from 2018-2020. She also co-founded the Sound School training program at Maha Rose Center for Healing  beginning in 2017 where it is offered annually each Fall and Spring for Levels 1 and 2 in Brooklyn NY and in a week-long retreat format in Mexico. 

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Katie co-hosts and curates the  Arts and Wellbeing Gathering, a consortium of artists and healing arts practitioners that meets once a month in the Hudson Valley to co-create, learn, share skills, and connect through the power of creative collaboration, and is the artistic instigator of the SoundWell Barn, a creative space that promotes art-making, classes, events, retreats, and wellbeing offerings throughout the year in the Hudson Valley. 

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