Holly Bridges

Creator of Anxiety Reframe Technique
Author of Reframe Your Thinking Around Autism; Bridging the Gap
Educator, Keynote speaker
Winner of 2018 NDS Innovation Award
Director Zebr. and LicenseToThink

After a lifetime of investigation into psychology, psychodynamics, somatics, neuroscience and spirituality, Holly discovered the Polyvagal Theory and everything fell into place. Over the past fifteen years, Holly has refined Anxiety Reframe Technique into a world-class practice that meets the needs of those who are often hardest to treat.

Historically, Holly gained a degree in psychology, women’s studies and youthwork, after which she worked in youth services and then homeschooled her children. Since then Holly has worked for a leading autism provider – earning her a nomination for the Australian National Disability Awards in 2014 – as well as a Post School Options Coordinator and a Community Inclusion Project Officer as part of Australia’s NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). Holly was involved in planning and implementation for NDIS with individual clients and she worked closely with a number of organizations around Australia in ideation and collaboration of ideas for implementing co-design and community inclusion. She developed programs for PSO, ran workshops on co-design and mentored staff.

What became obvious during this time in the industry, were the gaps in the autism therapies and practices. As well, Holly became increasingly aware of how autism informed her own life. Both these points, plus a streak of defiance prompted the creation of A.R.T. As a pioneer in this field, Holly is gaining accolades internationally from psychiatrists, psychologists, and other allied health (LINK to media page); she has also begun to scientifically evaluate her work – Bridging The Gap/Autistic Inertia (LINK to whitepaper) and to train therapists in this innovative modality LINK to art in depth page). Where A.R.T. began as a response to autistic needs, it is now applied far more widely into a range of issues that affect the human condition. Most importantly A.R.T. addresses anxiety, inertia and early existential states of dorsal vagal shut-down.

Andrew Moses

Certified  A.R.T. Therapist.  

Experienced Mental Health Nurse. Specialised support to individuals with autism and those suffering the effects of trauma.

“After fifteen years working in mental health and general nursing across the public, private and Government sectors, I discovered Holly Bridges and A.R.T. six years ago. My wife and I were seeking answers around autism and its effect on our two boys, that Western Medicine could not answer. Holly’s explanations were straightforward, perfectly logical and incredibly profound. I knew then that this was what I had been seeking; something that didn’t say “you are defective, do this to conform”, but rather a system that seeks to respect and encourage each individual to find more for themselves than they currently are able.

Six years later, I am humbled and proud to represent this amazing work. My clients suffer a range of formal mental illnesses, psychosocial disabilities and PTSD. They agree that A.R.T. assists them in experiencing, sometimes for the first time ever, real healing, better access to their own capacity and improved quality of life. They feel respected, validated and secure in the knowledge that A.R.T. is there to assist and support them, not judge them or tell them how they “should” be. I see it work where people have felt that nothing else has or could. It is designed to help people find more effective outcomes by better connecting with their inherent capacity”. Andrew Moses

Contact: andrewmoses@optimumability.com.au