Tasha Golden, PHD ~ International Speaker & Consultant
Tasha Golden, Ph.D. is a captivating force at the crossroads of well-being, art, and transformational change. An international expert fusing art and scientific insight, Golden offers a combo of warmth, storytelling, and unique insights that audiences find truly compelling.
As Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University and a renowned expert in arts and health, Dr. Golden studies the profound influence of the arts on human well-being. Holding a Ph.D. in Public Health, she bridges science and art to create compelling and impactful narratives.
Formerly the singer-songwriter for critically acclaimed band Ellery, Golden’s music has graced stages across the globe and found homes in films and TV. But a bout of major depression drove Golden from her music career—a devastating blow that led her to start over: asking provocative questions that led to her Ph.D., and to studies of creativity, health, and how we build a better world.
Golden’s story of transformation resonates with audiences and serves as a powerful touchpoint for discussions on mental health, creativity, self-development, and social change.
Dr. Golden’s multifaceted expertise extends to founding Project Uncaged—an arts-based health program for incarcerated girls, designed to amplify their voices and advance justice reform. And with extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals, she brings a wealth of knowledge across various arts and health dimensions—providing hosts with a trove of insightful topics to explore.
Most Popular Topics:
A few topics from her research publications:
- How the arts support well-being
- Why art makes difficult topics “talk-about-able”
- “Arts on Prescription” – Why doctors are prescribing museum visits, dance lessons, and art classes, and how this benefits all of us
- How music is being used to address mental health and related stigma
- Why “health” has to be defined as “human thriving”; not just the absence of disease
Outside of academia, Golden leverages her performing background to deliver engaging international keynotes, workshops, and interviews that cater to diverse audiences — including podcast listeners.
Golden also developed “How We Human: A Professional Development Training in Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Practice” — which is the first training of its kind designed specifically for people in creative professions.
As an international consultant, Dr. Golden engages organizations of all sizes, guiding them to harness the transformative power of arts and creativity to improve their well-being and grow their impact. Her on-the-ground work provides a wealth of knowledge that audiences find actionable and highly valuable.
Drawing on her unique experience and research, Dr. Golden can dive with you into topics like:
- Why creativity and the arts are essential for improving well-being and making positive social change
- Mental health in general, and the unexpected role of the arts (even for non-artists!)
- What she’s learned about mental health, burnout, and trauma-informed practice – both from her research and from her own journey
- How to use the benefits of creativity and the arts to improve well-being and grow your impact
- Why getting out of the box of your current discipline, sector, or role is your shortest path to greater impact
- What truly drives “health” (it’s not what you think!) and how you can effect positive change
- Any number of topics related to her published work
Golden’s insights offer a fresh perspective that captivates audiences. With a rich blend of personal experience, scientific knowledge, and engaging storytelling, Dr. Tasha Golden is the ideal guest for podcasts exploring well-being, creativity, healthcare, self-development, and/or social impact. Her unique story and expertise create memorable discussions that will leave both podcasters and their audiences inspired and enlightened… and ready to make change.
Topics:
- The Science of How Creativity and the Arts Transforms Well-Being and Social Change
- Discover how creativity and the arts can improve well-being and drive positive social change.
- Key Takeaways: Understand the impact of art on well-being, learn strategies to leverage creativity for social impact, explore intersections of arts and health.
- The Arts and Mental Health: Surprising Insights for Everyone
- Delve into how art can play a crucial role in mental health, even for non-artists.
- Key Takeaways: Learn how the arts contribute to mental health, understand the surprising benefits of creative expression, explore practical ways to integrate art for mental well-being—even if you’re not “creative”
- Navigating Mental Health, Burnout, and Trauma-Informed Practice: Insights from Research and Personal Journey
- Gain insights from Dr. Golden’s research and personal experience on mental health, burnout, and trauma-informed practices.
- Key Takeaways: Understand connections between mental health and creative expression, learn strategies for addressing burnout and promoting well-being, learn why trauma-informed practice is such a great tool for creatives—and all of us.
- Leveraging Creativity and the Arts to Boost Well-Being and Impact
- Discover actionable ways to use creativity and the arts to enhance well-being and expand your sphere of influence.
- Key Takeaways: Learn practical ways to integrate creativity into your work and life, understand links between creativity and impact, explore why busting disciplinary silos is key to growth.
- Thinking Beyond Boundaries: Breaking Out of Disciplinary Silos for Greater Impact
- Explore why stepping out of your current discipline, sector, or role is essential for achieving greater impact.
- Key Takeaways: Discover the benefits of interdisciplinary thinking, learn how to bridge different sectors for innovative solutions, explore the power of partnering across disciplines.
- The Real Drivers of Health and Transformative Change
- Discuss the many drivers of health, and learn how you can apply this knowledge to grow your impact and make positive change.
- Key Takeaways: Discover a more holistic definition of health, explore strategies for effecting change in communities and policy, discover ways to advance well-being by getting creative—and thinking outside the box.
Partial List of Previous Speaking Engagements:
- POLITICO European Health Summit
- SNF Stavros Nostos Conference
- National Academy of Medicine
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Johns Hopkins University
- Grantmakers in Health
- University of Florida
- SilkRoad
- Grantmakers in the Arts
- National Organization for Arts in Health
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Straz Center for the Performing Arts
- Itaú Cultural
- National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO)
- National Association of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)
- …and many more, including festivals, universities, school districts, national arts initiatives, etc.
Partial List of Previous Podcasts:
- Veterans Affairs C20 Podcast: The Art of Cognitive Development: How International Arts and Mind Lab Is Using Art to Unlock Human Potential
- Arts For The Health Of It: How We Human with Tasha Golden (Host Catherine Particini)
- Five Things: Episode 32: Writer Tasha Golden On Secret Diaries And Changing Paths (Host Tara Anderson)
- Our Turn to Talk with Anastasia Vlasova – Dear My Mental Illness
- The Distiller: #22 – Justin & Tasha Golden On Navigating Work Transitions as a Couple (Host Brandon Dawson)
- Brain Waves: Pandemic’s Toll on Women’s Mental Health with Laurie Hernandez, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, and Dr. Tasha Golden (Host Laurie Hernandez)
- Brain Waves: COVID and Brain Health (Host Brandon Staglin)
- The Art and Happiness Project Podcast – Music and Writing to Express and Process Trauma – Johns Hopkins Researcher and Ellery Lead Singer Tasha Golden (Host Agathe Westad)
- Lifetime Arts – Social Prescribing for the Arts: A Framework for Arts & Health Collaboration in the U.S. & Beyond
Rave Reviews:
“This is absolutely awe-inspiring. I could listen to this all day.”
“Thank you, Dr. Golden, for a beautiful and encouraging presentation!”
~ Attendees, Veterans Affairs C20 Podcast
“What stands out so clearly in Dr. Golden’s work and presentations is that she is…able to translate [research] discoveries into practices that people can understand—communicating with heart, clarity, and aesthetic beauty…”
~Käthe Swaback, MA, ATR; Creative Youth Development and CultureRx: Social Prescription Program Officer, Mass Cultural Council
“In Dr. Golden, you gain not only a prepared and passionate speaker, but an empathetic advocate who shows up fully with her wisdom, education, and experiences.”
~Lauren (Lo) Houser, Director, Project Jericho
“As the Director of Research, working with the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins, [Dr. Golden] carries the expertise, discipline, extensive knowledge, and curiosity of a scientist…Because of her background as a singer/songwriter, teaching artist, and founder of her own arts and health program…what she communicates is done with grace, humility, compassion”
~ Käthe Swaback, MA, ATR; Creative Youth Development and CultureRx: Social Prescription Program Officer, Mass Cultural Council
“I have heard from so many people how amazing and insightful the presentation was. . .thank you for inspiring all of us!”
~Jordan Soliz, Ph.D.; Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Host of UNL’s “Health Equity Grand Rounds”
“Not only does she successfully communicate how relevant the science of arts and health is, she also lives and practices it in her own life. Through her words and presence, she presents the evidence of what we stand to gain by engaging in the arts to improve our connection, health, and overall well-being.”
~Lauren (Lo) Houser, Director, Project Jericho
A Few Recent Print Interviews:
- The National Endowment for the Arts American Artscape Magazine (Feature story, and “Notable Quotable”): “The Art of Being Human: The Relationship Between Well-Being and Living an Artful Life with Dr. Tasha Golden”
- Buzzfeed Health: Can Music Heal Your Mind? This Radio Station’s Mental Health Programs Aim To At Least Try.”
- Five Thirty Eight: The Science Behind Those Comfy, Cozy Holiday Feelings
Books:
Tasha Golden, Ph.D. is the author of Once You Had Hands (Humanist Press).
She has also authored the following book chapters:
- Golden, T.L. et al. (2022). Effects of Setting on Psychedelic Experiences, Therapies, and Outcomes: A Rapid Scoping Review of the Literature. In: Barrett, F.S., Preller, K.H. (eds) Disruptive Psychopharmacology. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 56. Springer, Cham.
- Golden, T. (2018). Writing with incarcerated teen women: Trauma-informed pedagogy, health, and gender equity. In Lockard & Rankins-Robertson (Eds.), Prison Pedagogies: Learning and Teaching with Imprisoned Writers. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
- Golden, T. (2018). Subalternity in juvenile justice: Gendered oppression and the rhetoric of reform. In Pauszek, J., Girdharry, K., Lesh, C., and Parks, S. (eds) Best of the Journals in Rhetoric and Composition 2018. Anderson, SC: Parlor Press.
- Golden, T. (2017). Pop Heresy: Songwriting at the Edge of the Speakable. In Erickson, G. and Schweizer, B. (Eds), Reading Heresy: Religion and Dissent in Literature and Art. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter Press.
Website: www.tashagolden.com
Videos and Articles:
Tasha Golden on Arts and Mental Health
“Can Music Heal Your Mind? This Radio Station’s Mental Health Programs Aim To At Least Try”
