HOLLY BRIDGES 

Creator of Anxiety Reframe Technique

Holly Bridges is an author, therapist, and internationally respected innovator in the field of autism support, somatic neurotherapy, and trauma recovery.

She is a wife, mother of two, cat lover, author, educator and the creator of A.R.T.® (Anxiety Reframe Technique). A.R.T. is a world-class therapeutic approach that draws from Polyvagal Theory, brain plasticity, somatic practice, and a unique method Holly calls neuroceptive listening. Designed initially for autistic individuals, A.R.T. has become a breakthrough in working with freeze, inertia, and deep states of nervous system shut-down across a wide range of conditions.

Origins of A.R.T.

After a lifetime of academic and private investigation into psychology, psychodynamics, neuroscience, somatics and spirituality, Holly encountered the Polyvagal Theory and everything fell into place. Over the past 15 years, she has carefully refined A.R.T. into an accessible and elegant method that reaches those often considered “hard to treat” - individuals with low interoception, limited verbal capacity, or profound states of shutdown.

Holly brings not only clinical skill and intellectual rigour to her work, but lived experience as an undiagnosed autistic woman. Her unique perspective bridges the gap between science and embodiment, logic and intuition. She is known for her warm, authentic style – equal parts compassionate and quietly revolutionary.

Before developing A.R.T., Holly earned a degree in psychology, women’s studies, and youth work. She spent several years in youth services and homeschooled her children before returning to work in the autism sector. Her contributions included roles as a Post-School Options Coordinator and Community Inclusion Project Officer for the NDIS. 

She was nominated for the Australian National Disability Awards in 2014 and later awarded the Excellence in Innovation Award by National Disability Services (NDS) in 2018.

During her time in the disability field, Holly co-designed programs, mentored staff, facilitated co-design and inclusion workshops, and collaborated with organisations across Australia on pioneering inclusion strategies. But it was the gaps she saw in existing therapeutic models – and the increasing clarity around how autism showed up in her own life – that led her to create a different path.

Today, Holly’s work is being recognised internationally by psychiatrists, psychologists, somatic practitioners, and families alike. Her recent whitepaper, Bridging the Gap: Exploring the Impact of A.R.T. on Autistic Inertia and ADHD Paralysis, documents promising findings and lays the groundwork for broader therapeutic application.

While A.R.T. began in response to neurodivergent needs, it is now being applied across a wide range of presentations – especially those involving anxiety, chronic dysregulation, aged care and early existential states of dorsal vagal shut-down. A.R.T. offers not just tools, but a new way of seeing: one that restores dignity, trust, and possibility to individuals who have long been misunderstood.

Whether through her online programs, live workshops, or intensive one-on-one support, Holly continues to teach that when we listen to the body with respect, it  shows us the way forward.