Healing Minds Through Movement and Art – Exclusive Interview With Jayden Aubryn
- Brainz Magazine
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Jayden Aubryn (they/them) is a healer and artist who practices psychotherapy, personal training, health coaching, and consulting. Jayden's intersecting passions of athleticism, creativity, and integrative mental health have made them an expert in their field. Their lived experience as a Black, Indigenous, queer, polyamorous, AuDHD, and non-binary individual allows them to connect with those who struggle to thrive with Western medical professionals.
As a child, Jayden did not have access to the culturally competent healthcare they needed. Instead, they learned to heal through expressive modalities. Now that they are a mental health professional, they are determined to be the clinician that they needed as a child; one who integrates alternative healing methods, Western science, and accessible approaches.
Jayden has two active clinical social work licenses and maintains seven certifications: Personal Training, Trauma-Informed Weightlifting, School Social Work, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Integrative Mental Health, Sex Therapy Informed Care, and Clinical Trauma Professional.
Jayden Aubryn, Psychotherapist and Consultant
Introduce yourself! What makes you 'Jayden'?
I grew up in Columbus, OH, which, honestly, is an amazing city. After getting my graduate degree in Kentucky, I moved to Seattle, WA, where I launched my professional career and grew into my adult self. Now, I'm living in Valencia, Spain, with my partner and two cats.
I am a dancer, athlete, and artist. Dancing and playing instruments were my first loves; I started at 4 and 5 years old, respectively. Since then, I've done theater, poetry, singing, drawing, you name it! As an adult, I got more involved with athletics. I joined a roller derby team in graduate school and got pretty serious about weightlifting after that. To me, dance is the perfect combination of art and athletics.
I'm also a huge nerd! I love to read, learn, and experience new things. I travel multiple times a year to remind myself that there are multiple ways of living. I also research my interests so I can have informed opinions. That's how I learned so much about the science of healing through movement, food, music, and art.
What inspires your work?
I want to help people, of course. More importantly, however, I want to empower people. When people are struggling, they don't know what to do. Or if they know what to do, they don't have the time, money, or emotional capacity to do helpful things. I have felt the hopelessness of being stuck in unhelpful patterns, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
I emphasize making healing fun and part of your daily routine. You may not have time for an hour of therapy, so how can we make doing the dishes healing? You may not have money for a massage, so what movements can you do while sitting on the couch to release tension? Toilet time is a great time to practice coping skills. When people have knowledge and minimal barriers, they can take their healing into their own hands.
What are the pivotal moments that helped you get here?
Easy: Community support. I always knew I had good ideas, but I never thought I could execute them. However, some really amazing people encouraged me to get serious and pursue my dreams. I also witnessed other people pursue their dreams, which was very inspiring.
There was a boss who asked me if I would consider training new hires. Friends helped me decide the name of my business over dinner. A mentor moved to Europe and converted their business to fully virtual. I am a product of my community. Also, special shoutouts to the musical Hamilton and the podcast Ologies with Alie Ward, which were big sources of inspiration.
Is there a core value that you are most passionate about?
I'm very passionate about accessibility. Often, when people think about accessibility, they think of pricing or having a telehealth option. And I keep those things in mind. I have services that are free, and other services that cost thousands of dollars. You can work with me online, in person, or even asynchronously.
To be truly accessible, though, services need to be culturally competent, trauma-informed, and rooted in empathy. I want my services to help those of any race, gender, sexuality, class, body size, ability, etc. Too often, people with those identities do not receive the quality care they deserve.
I also want my services to help people who have viewpoints that I don't like. It's not helpful to shame people for having beliefs, even when those beliefs harm others. It's much more helpful to practice compassionate accountability. I want to give those people genuine opportunities to grow and change while honoring my boundaries and values.
Talk about your business and how you help your clients.
My business is called TISE Consulting and Therapy. TISE stands for Trauma-Informed Social Equity. I work with individuals, couples, families, and businesses. I mainly help clients by practicing compassionate accountability and having fun.
I think compassionate accountability is incredibly important when trying to reach goals. Most people don't have an issue setting goals; they have an issue accomplishing their goals. People either try to shame themselves into being accountable, or they're so compassionate with themselves that they forego discipline. I help people and businesses learn how to balance compassion and accountability to meet their goals.
Having fun is the other essential piece of what I do. Healing and growing is hard work! It often involves anxiety, grief, interpersonal conflict, and a grueling amount of distress. To balance those unpleasant experiences, I think it's important to make healing fun whenever possible. This is where movement and creative arts come in. It's much more fun to sing angrily, dance interpretively, or draw expressively than it is to simply feel unpleasant emotions.
What services or products does TISE offer?
I offer psychotherapy, clinical supervision, conflict resolution, workshops, trainings, and retreats. I record many of my trainings so people who can't attend live can purchase them on my Etsy shop, which also sells mental health merchandise like mugs and t-shirts. I also host the Chaotic Healing Podcast and have a Patreon with tons of resources. Lastly, I'm working on a brand new 30-day course on Twerking for Trauma that will be released in June 2025.
What sets TISE apart from other services in the industry?
When I work with a person or an organization, I see them as a whole entity. This idea of separating mental health from physical health, or employee satisfaction from financial profits, interferes with the healing process. Yet, how many times have you gone to a physical doctor who knows nothing about trauma? Or hired a consultant who knows nothing about managing interpersonal conflict?
When working with me, we'll talk about feelings, thoughts, physical well-being, spiritual beliefs, sexual health, community supports, external resources, all of it. I teach you how to integrate your knowledge into whole-system functioning.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
Everyone, including professionals, is looking for a magic cure. Right now, it's trendy to preach that lowering cortisol and doing EMDR will magically fix all your problems. A decade ago, everyone thought vegetarianism and behavior therapies would fix everything. Twenty years ago, it was antidepressants and Ritalin.
There's no magical fix. We're complex beings with complex problems; the answers will be equally complex. I wish leaders would stop trying to find the "next big thing" and learn to listen. Mental health professionals want so badly to fix or save others from their distress that they forget the biggest predictor of healing is having a good relationship with your client. Yes, there are therapeutic tools that enhance healing. Tools, however, are an additive to relationships, not a replacement.
What are your next goals or projects?
My next big project is an upcoming retreat for mental health professionals in October 2025. We'll focus on using movement, food, music, art, and BDSM as healing modalities for ourselves, and for our clients. I'm also preparing to conduct research on how power training affects executive functioning in partnership with University of Minnesota.
In general, though, I'm hoping to expand my reach by doing more trainings, presentations, courses, and retreats. I'm incredibly passionate about teaching other professionals how to be more holistic and trauma-informed. I'm hopeful that, by having a positive impact on other professionals, fewer clients will experience harm or inadequate care when they contact a clinician.
For readers inspired by this conversation and eager to start their journey, what first steps would you recommend?
Learn more about me! I'm incredibly authentic in any space I show up. I think it's incredibly exhausting to have a separate public persona, so if you like what you see of me in the public sphere, you'll probably enjoy working with me. I'd recommend following my Instagram or subscribing to the Chaotic Healing Podcast. Those are also the best places to stay up to date with my newest offerings.
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