Jolien was appointed as the first Program Manager Mental Health in a Dutch museum: 2022 EMYA winner Museum of the Mind. She also plays a key role in the Van Gogh Museum’s initiative ‘Open up with Vincent’ and advised the pioneering Dutch project ‘Museum on Prescription’. Drawing on the latest scientific insights, she develops Art interventions, Art Meditations and Mindful Spaces. As sought-after speaker she globally shares insights on NeuroArts, psycho-education and post-traumatic growth and trains & supervises teams in working Mental Health-Focused and Trauma Informed.
At NEMO’s European Museum Conference 2025, Jolien Posthumus will guide us through a check-in meditation. She will later join the panel “Deep dive: Rethinking care in trauma-informed museums” on Monday, 27 October and facilitate the workshop "Mindfulness in museums: Art experiences that promote mental health" on Tuesday, 28 October.
Presentation abstract:
Turning toward: How museums, art, and trauma-sensitive mindfulness foster resilience and growth
How can museums engage their collections in ways that meaningfully support people with lived experience of trauma – both personal and collective? In this short talk, we’ll explore what trauma is, how healing can unfold, and why art and trauma-sensitive mindfulness are powerful allies in fostering resilience and growth. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and real-world practice, Jolien will show how artworks can serve as anchors for presence, co-regulation, connection, and moments of awe – and will explore ways museums can invite visitors to be as present and engaged as feels possible across many forms of trauma.
Workshop abstract:
Mindfulness in museums: Art experiences that promote mental health
Mindfulness in Museums (MiM) offers art experiences in museums that promote mental health and broaden one's view of the world. For the MiM-programs, Jolien ‘translates’ the framework of the evidence-based healthcare intervention into an art intervention, integrating the mindfulness techniques, structure, ancient wisdom and scientific knowledge. In this workshop Jolien will delve into the working methodology of the MiM programmes. We explore how MiM can be adapted for different target audiences such as young adult and health care professionals and examine how your museum can adopt mindfulness-based approaches. Finally, we create space to discuss how your collection and gallery space can promote mental health in this way.
