The Neutral Ground Collective

Dedicated to navigating the spectrum of trauma through the arts, movement, and nature. Empowering communities to heal and thrive through creative art therapy, somatic therapy, and nature-based therapy.

We are a collective of trauma, disaster, & crisis specialists, climatologists, social scientists, & public health experts that offer both educational & therapeutic workshops to first responders, communities that have endured disasters/community trauma, educators, & community organizations,. Ou philosophy is that the shared experience of processing trauma unfolds innovative ways for a solution-focused democratic response to crises & creates a path towards collective posttraumatic growth. We believe Community is an organism.

We use a community-model approach addressing trauma by leveraging the strengths and resources of the community. This is also a community led model. This approach recognizes that trauma impacts not just the individual but entire communities, and that healing can be more effective when it involves a collective effort and support.
Our key elements are: Collective Healing, Empowerment, Holistic Services, Cultural humility, Prevention and Education, Capacity Building, Resilience Building, and Collaborative Partnerships.

Our community-model approach shifts from treating trauma in isolation to fostering supportive environment where individuals can heal together, learn from each other and build a sense of safety and trust within the community.
The past two years we have been working with multiple coastal communities including the metro area providing workshops teaching community organizations and community members how to relate stress & trauma through somatic therapy and art therapy interventions.

Testimonials

Our services are free to communities who have endured disasters from either extreme weather events to environmental issues. These services are in person and online, providing easy access to community mental health support in times of crisis. Your donation can help us continue these free services to communities throughout Louisiana. 

At this time we are collecting data from a few communities who have noticed results from our workshops. Many have seen physical health changes such as lower blood pressure, stronger immune systems, community healing through co-regulation, and a better understanding how the nervous system works.