Overcoming flood trauma

Places are still available in the Alanus RIArT project “Creative Arts Therapies for Coping with Trauma in the Ahr Valley”.

During the flood disaster in July 2021, thousands of people in the Ahr Valley lost all their belongings and suffered severe psychological trauma. Can a creative arts therapy programme help heal these outwardly invisible wounds? This question is being explored by the Research Institute for Creative Arts Therapies (RIArT) at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter in cooperation with the Foundation University Medicine Essen in the new “KreARTiv” study funded by Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V. To collect practice-based data from January to November 2025, the team is currently seeking study participants for group sessions in art, music, dance, and drama therapy.

The group programmes aimed at reducing the psychological effects of the flood disaster are free of charge and take place at various locations in the Ahr Valley and the Euskirchen district. They are intended for children, young people, and adults from the affected region and aim to reduce trauma symptoms and strengthen resilience. Certified creative arts therapists invite participants to engage in creative work, music-making, movement, or role play in ten weekly two-hour sessions. Changes experienced by participants are measured using established questionnaires and are scientifically monitored by the RIArT evaluation team at Alanus University, led by Prof. Dr. Sabine C. Koch and Dr. Susann Kobus, together with researchers from the Foundation University Medicine Essen.

Download the “KreARTiv” programme flyer

To register for participation and group allocation, please contact: kreARTiv@alanus.edu
For telephone enquiries, please contact Prof. Dr. Sabine C. Koch at 0151/12957957.

Contact for press enquiries:
+49 (0)2222 9321-1944
presse@alanus.edu

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