tasha golden, phD

So glad to join you for this “Future Perspectives and Critical Reflections” Conference.
I’ve gathered a few resources for lay and academic audiences, as references from work I mentioned. Find more peer-reviewed work on the “Publications” tab.

1️⃣ This FREE short ebook offers an introduction to art’s impacts across the social ecological model. It’s the IDEAS framework… just without the IDEAS acronym! ✨Note: an updated “IDEAS” version is coming soon✨

2️⃣ Find the river metaphor I shared—plus the social ecological model as a proven framework for thinking upstream—in my Psychology Today article: “Are You Thinking Too Small about what you can change?”

3️⃣ My recent editorial for Ensemble — a global publication re: music and social impact — explores the stories into which evidence is being offered, and why changing those stories may matter as much as building the evidence: "The Stories We're Speaking Into"

4️⃣ This review by Stamkou & Keltner (2026) synthesizes evidence re: art's capacity for positive and negative social influence—including on civic engagement, gender equality, intergroup relations, and environmental conservation. Read it for key insights re: arts at outer levels of the social ecological model: "Aesthetic Revolution: How Art Shapes Social Worlds"

5️⃣ In this 2-part peer-reviewed study, I used mixed methods—4 surveys and 3 arts-based methods—to examine young women's experiences of violence.
The arts-based methods revealed critical knowledge the surveys missed entirely, including young women naming institutional inaction as a form of violence and demanding structural change.
Part I details population findings; Part II assesses all methodsmaking the case for trauma-informed, arts-based research strategies: "Innovating Health Research Methods, Part I" and "Part II"

📚 For more resources, explore the menu tabs.

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Ways to

Work with Me:

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My virtual and in-person talks have helped audiences link arts & health, and/or get creative about who they are, what they do, and where they’ll go next. [ SXSW, Google, US Conf. of Mayors, POLITICO, Mayo Clinic, etc. ]
Attendees have described the presentations as “riveting,” “compelling,” “downright beautiful.”
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get Consulting, Courses, or 1:1 coaching

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I consult and advise leaders across the globe — leveraging the science of creativity help them question assumptions, reimagine their work, develop programs and research… and move bold ideas into practical action.
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book a training

“How We Human” is my signature training in mental health & trauma-informed practice, designed specifically for artists & creative professionals.
This virtual experience is rooted in research, inspired by my own experience with depression and burnout, and informed by years of practice with artists and arts orgs.

Build clarity and confidence, get practical tools, and boost your group’s wellbeing and creativity: MORE INFO

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“Invest in understanding what works to change the upstream conditions shaping young people's lives… and treat that question as CENTRAL to the arts and health field — not peripheral to it.”

TASHA GOLDEN, PHD

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ABOUT…

As a behavioral scientist, I study what makes people tick, what gets them stuck, and what drives real change.

As an artist, I know that creativity isn't just about making things. It’s about seeing possibilities that others miss.

Asboth, I help people re-see their work and its potential… so they can grow their impact and ignite change.

Scroll the About Page for my bio/story, or use the menu to find more info.