Dr Bessel Van Der Kolk at Syros Healing Waves Festival

The Syros Healing Waves Festival established itself from its very first edition as one of the most ambitious and multidimensional events in Greece dedicated to wellbeing and trauma-informed innovation. For seven days, the island of Syros transformed into a vibrant hub of knowledge, art, and human connection, with a four-day scientific retreat at its core .

The festival was created and curated by the Trauma2Therapy Institute, which designed its scientific and philosophical foundations. Alternative Media undertook full event management and production, coordinating all venues, schedules, operations, speakers, and technical teams to ensure seamless execution.

The historic Apollon Theatre served as the central stage, hosting leading international experts who presented contemporary perspectives on trauma recovery and somatic healing. Among them were Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Licia Sky, Benjamin Fry, and dozens of distinguished scientists from Greece and abroad, representing a wide spectrum of psychology, neuroscience, and embodiment practices .

Parallel activities spread throughout Ermoupoli: the Town Hall, the Industrial Museum, and several outdoor locations hosted workshops, public dialogues, artistic interventions, and experiential sessions. This multi-site structure turned the entire city into an open-air canvas of learning and creative expression.

Music, movement, and embodied practices were central to the programme. Daily sessions of yoga, afrodance, psychodrama, and live musical performances enriched the festival’s rhythm, culminating in a large Cycladic celebration—a symbolic transition from trauma to pleasure, the essence of the event’s philosophy.

Through the strong collaboration between Trauma2Therapy and Alternative Media, Syros Healing Waves achieved an international character and positioned Syros as a rising European destination for therapeutic, cultural, and experiential gatherings.