The Center for Haptic Healing

As the intersection of art and healing is being sought out like never before, pottery studios, in particular, are becoming places of post-traumatic growth and nurturance. As more and more people are flocking to pottery studios for connection and healing, most ceramics studios are not trauma-informed. That is, we know throwing clay feels good, and people come to our studios to improve well-being, but our practices are not intentionally informed by our knowledge of and sensitivity to trauma. When the work is intentional, neuroscience suggests that throwing clay is unique in the ways it offers opportunity for post traumatic growth.

The financial reality for most ceramicists hoping to make a living from their art is precarious at best, making the fee for even a reasonably priced workshop or training challenging to pay. If The Center for Haptic Healing can provide its educational programs at minimal or no cost through corporate,  grant, or individual funding, this benefits both artists and those seeking healing through art. And by offering non-traditional paths to well-being, we help the community at large.

The Center for Haptic Healing grew from its founder’s own experience of trauma, his background as a trauma therapist, and his love of ceramics. When he was nine years old, Joshua Beckett and his mother survived a horrific armed robbery which left him and his mother physically and emotionally changed. Nearly forty-five years later, Joshua began researching how throwing clay could nurture post traumatic growth. 

The Center for Haptic Healing stands out as the only training organization of its kind in the country. Our educational program provides a deep understanding of trauma and equips participants with tools to create trauma-informed spaces. The CHH approach blends art, mindfulness, relational practices, and neurobiology, setting us apart in ceramics education.

Initial efforts will focus on regional workshops and collaborations between pottery studios and care centers (e.g. for cancer survivors, veterans) hoping to incorporate integrative healing components into their programs. 

We have an opportunity to bring conscious, intentional, trauma-informed practices to healing spaces – pottery studios – all over the country, and to cultivate stronger communities by connecting care centers with their local CHH-trained pottery studios. The Center for Haptic Healing is endeavoring to nurture resilience, promote post traumatic growth, and build community with clay.