A.R.T. Express
Learn the science and foundational practices of this compassionate, game-changing approach to autism therapy
As a parent…
Do you want your child/teen to feel happier?
Be more comfortable in their own skin?
Grow into the best version of themselves?
But are they reactive, non-responsive; locked-out more often than not? Have you found limited success—or experienced a lot of resistance—with other therapies? Do you spend precious time and money on programs that don’t make a difference, that have you all running on a hamster wheel of appointments? Do you worry about the future?
As an autistic adult or young adult…
Do you go from high to low with no brakes? Feel outside of yourself? Struggle with digestive issues, poor sleep, anxiety, low energy, meltdowns when things don’t go your way, demand avoidance and low self-esteem? Is it hard just to get out of bed because you’re always so tired? Is it sometimes impossible to do basic things like shower and brush your teeth, or follow a movie? And does it sometimes seem as if there’s no way out of feeling like this?
As an Allied
Health Professional…
Are you looking for ways to expand your means of working with and supporting your patients on the autism spectrum? Perhaps you’re frustrated by some of the limitations of other techniques?
Whichever category you fall into, does it often feel as if nothing really works?
You know you need to find pathways that help your child/yourself/your clients to feel more resilient, better able to self-regulate and connect with others. But nothing you’ve tried so far seems to have worked well or been easy to apply in the moment of need.
That’s no real surprise.
Because the reality is that cognitive top-down therapies such as C.B.T. or meditation—and even popular somatic (body-based) therapies—are hard for autistics to apply. A.R.T was created in response to that challenge, to be more attuned to the autistic community.
What is A.R.T?
A.R.T. is a new approach to autism therapy that brings together Somatic Practices, Polyvagal Theory and Brain Plasticity in a brand-new way. A.R.T. helps move people out of an immobilised, inertia state and back into brain/body alignment—so they can feel calmer, happier, and become more resilient.
Why is A.R.T. so effective for the neurodivergent population?
A.R.T. is based on The Polyvagal Theory, which suggests that many of the problems experienced by autistic children and adults stem from the flight/fight/freeze response.
But while there are other somatic therapies that effectively help the general population manage this iresponse—the neurodivergent population often struggle with these approaches.
A.R.T. is different—and designed specifically for the neurodivergent/autistic community.
The Polyvagal Theory suggests that many of the problems experienced by autistic children and adults stem from the flight/fight/freeze response hijacking their natural connection with the world.
- It doesn’t need them to articulate what’s happening or what they’re feeling.
- It doesn’t need them to fix everything before they can feel good.
- The exercises are simple to apply so they don’t overwhelm.
A.R.T. is profound in its simplicity—and in how it can generate states of wellbeing and robustness in people of all ages and stages on the autism spectrum. This is neurodivergent practice at its finest.
What people are saying about A.R.T:
Let me show you straight from our parents and adults with autism who have applied this therapeutic approach.
Scott experienced “the beautiful, brightest, free-est smile I’ve ever given in my life” after engaging with the A.R.T. method.
Danny said that the A.R.T. approach is so subtle and finessed that it “ends up changing everything”.
Barbara’s relationship with her daughter Lindsey (40) is totally different with A.R.T. in their toolkit.
Introducing:
A.R.T. EXPRESS
Join Holly Bridges in a unique, insightful course to expand what is possible for Autism—and gain the tools to apply A.R.T. in your daily life to reap the rewards of finding a less “stressed” state.
Why we created this course:
A.R.T. Express is an original course from Holly Bridges, the author of ‘Reframe Your Thinking Around Autism’. This course was designed to make this method accessible to, and understood by, as many people as possible—and to make a real impact on how autistics and neurodivergent people get to be and feel in the world.
You’ll see the Polyvagal Theory and Brain Plasticity through a neurodivergent lens—and discover how we can work with an individual focus to bring about positive change and well-being for those on the spectrum.
Plus, you’ll learn two of Holly’s signature neuro-physical exercises that help promote self-regulation, resilience and well-being.
What past A.R.T. Express participants have said
What health professionals have said about A.R.T.:
Here are just a few a-ha moments or gains you’ll experience inside of A.R.T Express
For parents
- Gain an understanding of how your child’s brain and body work.
- Understand Polyvagal theory from a neurodivergent perspective—so you can better understand their reactions.
- Learn to hold space for your child, help them find more calm and peace, and be less triggered by daily occurrences
- Promote interoception and self-awareness—so your child will better respond to their body’s cues and recognise what they are experiencing
- Reduce anxiety in yourself—and your child.
- Help to enhance learning and comprehension as they can be more present and aware of their surroundings
- Learn to trust yourself, your innate knowledge, and your toolkit when it comes to taking care of your children
- Feel more connected to and engaged with your kids—such a profound reward in and of itself.
For Adults on the Spectrum
- Learn ways you can generate and experience authentic wellbeing—and feel more peace in your mind and body.
- Have simple tools at your disposal to help when things get hard and you find yourself slipping into meltdowns and avoidance.
- See yourself with more compassion—because you understand the physiological reasons you behave and feel the way you do.
- Build inner resilience and self-confidence
- Understand the physiology of meltdowns and some of the reasons they happen
- Understand how coordination, working memory and executive function are dependent on physiological states—and why/when it might be particularly difficult for you
- Befriend your nervous system and learn ways to practise self-care
For Allied Health Practitioners
- Deepen your understanding of Polyvagal Theory
- Discover how the Polyvagal Theory can be applied with dignity towards neurodivergent clients
- Expand your skills in working with Neurodiversity
- Promote psychological safety in Autism/ADHD/Intellectual Disability/Down Syndrome and Trauma states treatment
- Reinform your current theoretical frameworks with a more progressive, inclusive approach
- Develop your ability to be informed by the body
- Unlearn your tendency to frame and direct—taking a more client-led approach for better results
- Enhance connection with your clients/patients.
- Enhance interoception and self-awareness and confidence, and reduce anxiety, in your clients with neurodivergence.
What’s covered in the program:
Everything you need to get started with A.R.T.
MODULE 1: Setting a New Stage
First, we take a dive into the underpinnings of autism through the lens of a wide historical context, while being mindful of a Western mindset, to consider a way to reimagine autism therapy.
MODULE 2: The Polyvagal Theory and Anxiety Reframe Technique
MODULE 3: Brain and Body Circuitry
Learn how the many parts of the nervous system support mental and physical states. Holly pulls together current research into how the vestibular system, immune system, limbic system + brain coordinate to allow ease of movement, executive functions and emotional well-being—and how this research applies to autism and regulation.
MODULE 4: Brain Plasticity and Anxiety Reframe Technique
Here we expand on Anat Baniels' Nine Essentials already covered in the 'Reframe Your Thinking Around Autism' book to enhance how we can work with them through an A.R.T. lens and grow our capacity to work and play with those on the spectrum.
MODULE 5: Hara Ball Exercise and and Interoception
Learn more about the autonomic nervous system and how it aligns with health and well-being. Then learn how to work with Holly's Hara Ball Exercise to help promote this calmer state of being. Includes videos of the 'ball' in action so you can see how to apply it yourself.
MODULE 6: Hand Points Exercise and Interoception
Learn about neurosensory alignment, how sensory information is tracked in the body, and how we can rewire the body's learned patterns of response to illicit change in behaviours and emotional responses. Then, learn how to apply that knowledge and work with Acupressure Hand Points through the A.R.T. (Anxiety Reframe Technique) lens.
You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of yourself, your client or your child—and a new set of tools to support you as you navigate life with, or as, someone on the spectrum.
We’ve created two variations of A.R.T Express, each designed specifically to meet the needs of the different groups who would benefit from this training.
VERSION 1
For Autistics and Parents
- 6 online modules & accompanying fillable workbooks.
- 6 live video replays on the practical application of concepts and techniques of Anxiety Reframe Technique (A.R.T.)
- 6 live Q&A video replays that help you understand the nuances of this approach.
- 12 month access to content—so you’re not rushed to work through it and can refer back to the teachings.
- Access to private Facebook Community—to connect with Holly, meet fellow parents and autistics, ask Qs and discuss your experiences and application.
$250 AUD 3 x monthly payment
(or $750 AUD pay in full)
VERSION 2
For Practitioners and Professionals
- 6 online modules and accompanying fillable workbooks.
- 6 live video replays on the practical application of concepts and techniques of Anxiety Reframe Technique (A.R.T.)
- 6 live Q&A video replays that help you understand the nuances of this approach.
- 12 month access to content
- Plus:
- 6 quizzes to test you on understanding
- Online Certification Exam
- CPD Accreditation Certificate
- 40 CPD credits
- Teacher training manuals, so you can use these skills at a deeper level with your clients
$300 AUD 3 x monthly payment
(or $900 AUD pay in full)
Who else could benefit from taking this self-study course?
Imagine how different your life could look for you if you, your child, or your patient could…
- Build meaningful relations
- Better self-regulate—and become less triggered or reactive.
- Be happier and more comfortable within themselves/yourself
- Have more self-understanding
- Experience more connection with others—including parents (we know it’s hard not to have that connection with your child—and vice versa—so this can be a meaningful shift).
- Become more expressive and engaged.
- Go to school successfully
- Make friends—and not be bullied
- Be able to earn money and keep down a job.
A.R.T. can make an enormous difference to autistics, caregivers and clients.
The results we’ve seen speak for themselves.
“Hollys work has turned the volume right down for him and in doing that it has allowed him to now be present in his own world. It has allowed him choice over what he wants, a space to choose what he likes and dislikes and time to stop, think and then make those choices.
Unlike the other endless therapies the boys have been in over the years, with Holly's work they want to participate. They have a deep sense of knowing that this helps them. We have been to so many therapies where I can't even get them through the door let alone to participate but the space that Holly holds for them allows them to be calm and engage with her with very little effort from them.
As for me, I have Complex PTSD. I have been in trauma specific therapy for years and Holly's work assisted me to make huge shifts in the space of hypervigilance. I myself can be more calm and present without my body constantly alerting me to threats. I have found confidence I didn't think I was capable of and it has allowed my body space to do trauma processing that I simply wasn't capable of in such a heightened space.
It's easy to challenge something that is new, different and doesn't look like the typical therapies we have been pushed towards when you receive a diagnosis of autism but for me personally I am so grateful to have come across Holly's work. For our family it has been life changing.
The evidence lives within our home each day.”
Ready to learn the foundations of this new way of working with autism and help yourself—or your child or client—blossom?
Please note: This course is a foundational course, to give you a basic level of understanding of the philosophy, physiology and psychology underpinning the Anxiety Reframe Technique (A.R.T)--and two core exercises to play with and apply in your home and in your practice. It’s the perfect “jumping in” point to learn this new approach and infuse it into your life. However, if you're interested in becoming an advanced A.R.T. practitioner—or want to go much deeper to bing this method into your own home—there is a more comprehensive 1 year program you can enrol in called A.R.T. In Depth.