Every story deserves healing. Every person deserves wholeness.
At the Kintsugi Foundation, we believe recovery is not about hiding broken pieces — it’s about honoring them.
Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where fractured pottery is repaired with gold, our work combines research-based music therapy practices with compassionate human connection to support recovery from trauma, abuse, and substance abuse.
Music reaches parts of the brain and body that traditional talk-based approaches sometimes cannot. Backed by decades of neuroscience and clinical research, music therapy helps regulate emotion, reduce stress responses, and rebuild pathways connected to resilience and healing.
Here, recovery becomes something you actively create… one note, one breath, one moment at a time.
You are not broken. You are becoming.
Our Purpose
The Kintsugi Foundation provides evidence-based, trauma-informed music therapy and other resources and programs that support recovery, emotional regulation, and long-term resilience for individuals impacted by traumatic experiences.
We use movement, sound, and art as a bridge:
Between pain and expression
Between isolation and belonging
Between survival and renewed purpose
Why Music Therapy?
Substance use disorders and trauma affect the nervous system, memory processing, and emotional regulation. Research shows that structured music therapy can support recovery by engaging multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, including those connected to emotion, reward, movement, and connection.
Evidence-based music and movement therapy has been shown to:
Reduce anxiety, depression, and cravings
Support nervous system regulation
Improve emotional expression and processing
Strengthen motivation for recovery
Increase treatment engagement and retention
Promote social connection and belonging
Participants do not need musical or artistic experience.
Healing begins with participation, not performance.
Our Approach
Evidence-Based Practice
Programs are grounded in established research, neuroscience, and recovery science.
Trauma-Informed Care
Every resource and event prioritizes emotional safety, empowerment, and choice.
Creative Expression
Rhythm work, guided listening, dance, and reflection provide structured pathways for healing.
Whole-Person Recovery
We support emotional, neurological, and social healing, recognizing recovery as a lifelong process.
Our Story
The Kintsugi Foundation was created from a growing understanding supported by research and lived experience:
Healing happens most powerfully when science and compassion meet.
Many individuals navigating addiction or trauma struggle to access therapies that feel safe, engaging, or culturally responsive. Music therapy offers a research-supported approach that reconnects people with creativity, identity, and hope.
Like kintsugi pottery, our lives carry marks of hardship. When those experiences are honored rather than hidden, they become part of a stronger, more meaningful whole.
Programs
Inner Gold Workshops
Monthly day-long workshops focused on trauma recovery through creative expression, including dance and movement, music and sound therapy, and visual arts. Free for participants, donations cover all facilitator fees, meals, supplies, facilities, liability coverage, and an on-site mental health professional.
Survivor Resources
Partnerships with survivor advocates, recovery organizations, and community programs to provide and expand access to key resources for trauma survivors.
Our Impact
Our work integrates clinical research, trauma-informed care, and creative expression to support measurable and meaningful outcomes:
Increased engagement in recovery programs
Improved emotional regulation skills
Reduced feelings of isolation
Greater self-efficacy and hope for the future
Healing is deeply personal, but research continues to affirm what participants experience firsthand: music can help restore connection to self and community.
Research & Professional Standards
The Kintsugi Foundation aligns its programming with established standards in:
Music therapy research and clinical practice
Trauma-informed care frameworks
Substance use recovery science
Neurobiological approaches to healing
We collaborate with credentialed professionals and continually integrate emerging research to ensure our programs remain effective, ethical, and compassionate.