Shiri Hergass is a Clinical Social Worker and Art Therapist who has spent the last 25 years working with children and adults who have experienced trauma, and those who work with them. Her work spans private practice, public facilitation and research.

Shiri holds a PhD, an MA in Clinical Social Work, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Art Therapy.

Throughout her work, Shiri has found that that art is a wonderful tool in which children (and adults) can communicate a vast variety of feelings in a non-threatening way.

“When words have not yet been formed when the trauma occurred, or when they are not sufficient to express the trauma (and they’re mostly never sufficient) or when we are living with past generational or historical trauma, art can give the experience a shape and a colour."

Shiri has worked with Ethiopian immigrants, Palestinian and Jewish social workers, mothers and their babies in jail, and remote preschools in outback NSW, Australia. Continually Shiri finds that art creates a bridge to reach people from different cultures and gives voice and colour to people’s individual stories. 

In addition to individual therapy and running therapeutic groups for children and women, Shiri has spent the last few years refining a model for preschools, using creative groups.

These art, music or gardening groups give the children a safe space to non-verbally process their life story. Thereby giving them an opportunity to safely express and process traumatic events, which often leads to a reduction in ‘big behaviours’.

Simultaneously making space for the educators to process and understand the children’s behaviours. This equips them with more resources for combatting vicarious dramatisation and burnout - common for those working with trauma.

 Shiri is a strong believer in the power of relationships to heal.

Shiri was awarded the role of Reconciliation Ambassador to represent the Australian Association of Social Work and as an acknowledgement of her work.

Shiri recently had a chapter published in: Evidence Discovery and Assessment in Social Work Practice.

And two chapters in Transgenerational Trauma and the Aboriginal Preschool Child.

CONFERENCES

8th SNAICC National Conference
2-5 September 2019 
Adelaide SA, Australia
Healing through Art - Using art groups as a medium to heal and create relationships with children who have experienced trauma whilst understanding the affects it has on those working with them.

National Conference for Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools
17-19 February 2019
Washington DC, USA
Seasonal Model as an Innovative Tool to support Vulnerable Children and their Educators

Little People Big Dreams
13 October 2018
Darwin NT, Australia
Seasonal Model of Art Therapy within the preschool

Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools 3rd Annual Conference

16-18 February 2020
Atlanta GA, USA
ARTiculation - the interface of healing, trauma and education

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference
(postponed due to COVID-19)
Surfers Paradise QLD, Australia
Working at the interface of trauma and education using the Seasonal Model